Starry Sky Scenic Area

　　Starry Sky is situated in the southeastern part of Wangqing County, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province. It falls under the administrative jurisdiction of Baicaogou Town and is managed by the forestry department of Wangqing County. The forest park spans 80 forest compartments, covering an area of 17,200 hectares, stretching 22 kilometers from north to south and 10 kilometers from east to west.

　　The Starry Sky Forest Park enjoys convenient transportation. It borders Dongguang Town and Wangqing Town to the east, adjoins Tumen City to the southeast, neighbors Yanji City to the south, and lies adjacent to Zhongping Village of Baicaogou Town to the west and Yonghe Village of Baicaogou Town to the north. National Highway Heda passes through the area. It is 46 kilometers from Yanji City and 40 kilometers from Tumen City. The park is also approximately 200 kilometers from the Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) tourist area of Changbai Mountain to the south, 100 kilometers from Hunchun to the east, 200 kilometers from Dunhua to the west, and 200 kilometers from Jingpo Lake and Mudanjiang to the north, while being only 46 kilometers from Yanji City—all accessible by road. Its geographical location places it in the central area among major tourist destinations in Northeast China, making it an ideal hub connecting various scenic spots. It also has potential for developing international tourism routes with North Korea and Russia, thereby expanding the tourism market with promising prospects.

　　In 1995, it was approved by the provincial government as a “Provincial-Level Scenic Area,” in 2001 by the National Tourism Administration as an “AA-level Tourist Area,” and in December 2004 by the State Forestry Administration as a “National Forest Park.” In recent three years, it has received an average of 50,000 visitors annually. The overall development plan for the forest park divides it into four functional zones: Special Landscape Zone, Ecological Conservation Zone, Recreation Zone, Service Management Zone, and Historical Site Preservation Zone. There are nine major types of tourism products including sightseeing, health and wellness tourism, entertainment tourism, back-to-nature tourism, sports tourism, vacation tourism, educational tourism, culinary tourism, and special interest tourism. Combining features of the scenic areas, resources, regional characteristics, and ethnic culture, the park develops unique and diverse tourism merchandise.

　　The Starry Sky Scenic Area encompasses eight major scenic zones and thirty-six individual sites. Nestled among mountains, it features the qualities of “vast waters, serene mountains, beautiful snow, and lush forests,” offering distinctive landscape characteristics within Yanbian Prefecture. The most stunning attraction is Tianxing Lake, which stretches 18 kilometers with its meandering beauty and is hailed as the “Little Three Gorges of the Northeast.” This place is a pristine gallery world where breathtaking scenes gather and mystery abounds, as well as a natural, unspoiled leisure destination.

　　Legend has it that long ago, in the distant Star Kingdom, the planet Uranus had eighteen sons, all brave and wise, and eighteen daughters, all talented and beautiful. As time passed, the Star Kingdom gradually dimmed, and the only way to save it was for Uranus to consume an elixir of immortality. Thus, his eldest son, Wangshi Xing, set out on a journey to find the magical medicine. Half a month passed with no sign of him. Then, the second son also left to search for both his elder brother and the elixir, but he too did not return. In this way, Uranus’s children left the kingdom one after another in quest of the medicine, yet none returned. It turned out that the thirty-six children had each settled in Mantai City, bringing their father there to live. After some time, Uranus regained his strength and grew younger and younger. From ancient times to the present, Uranus and his family have led tens of thousands of little stars as they shine in brilliant colors and enjoy a wonderful celestial life. Later generations renamed Mantai City to Starry Sky based on this legend.