Alpine Garden

　　Travel is more than just hiking and enjoying the scenery or admiring flowers—it’s a unique kind of pleasure. Visiting Changbai Mountain in summer without seeing the Alpine Garden would be a great pity. In mid-July last year, my friends and I climbed Changbai Mountain again. This time, it wasn’t to see the Heavenly Lake but specifically to visit the Alpine Garden.

　　I had long heard that above an altitude of 1,800 meters on Changbai Mountain, within the alpine tundra zone, besides vast areas of moss and other low, cold-resistant vegetation, there are also large expanses of wildflowers. This time, climbing the mountain truly was a feast for the eyes. Among these naturally growing flowers, there were not only the fiery alpine azaleas, the graceful Changbai poppies, the crystal-clear ice flowers, the golden and brilliant Globeflowers, the bright red lilies, and the purple Gentians, but also miniature clubmosses less than two inches tall and the famous immortal grass. These wild alpine flowers and countless unnamed small plants formed seas of blossoms for visitors to admire.

　　Every year between July and August is the peak blooming season for these flowers. To fully develop Changbai Mountain’s tourism resources, the Baishan City Tourism Bureau has held the Alpine Flower Festival here for two consecutive years. The scale has grown larger each year, and the creativity has become more innovative each time, offering visitors a new scenic highlight. In fact, such expansive alpine gardens are not only found on the western and northern slopes of Changbai Mountain but also abound on the southwestern slope. If visitors ascend Changbai Mountain from Changbai County on the southwestern slope, they’ll discover an even more unique experience—not only can they admire vast fields of flowers, but they may also spot floating stones, submerged wood, and upside-down root grass.

　　The flowers and plants growing in the Alpine Garden are not only for viewing—many are also valuable medicinal herbs. For example, ice flowers contain various cardiac glycosides and are used to treat heart failure, cardiac edema, and pulmonary edema. Alpine sedum not only has tonic effects but also treats elderly heart failure, while also showing good efficacy against diabetes, tuberculosis, and anemia. The leaves of the alpine azalea can be used medicinally, with effects including astringency, antibacterial properties, sweating, and strengthening the heart. Snake-killing herb has significant therapeutic effects on snake bites, which is why locals have a saying: “Meet snake-killing grass, fear no snake bite.” Upside-down root grass not only has ornamental value but can also be used medicinally, showing excellent efficacy in treating uterine bleeding, tracheitis, and anorectal diseases...

　　Changbai Mountain has thousands of varieties of Chinese herbal medicine, with hundreds of them growing in the alpine tundra zone. Growing alongside the vast fields of wildflowers, they form a unique and stunning landscape, becoming an important and indispensable attraction in Changbai Mountain’s travel destination. After returning from the Alpine Garden, I was still deeply enveloped by the beauty of those flowers. I felt incredibly fortunate to have had the chance to be among them. Their beauty made me realize that they are not only the wealth of the people of Changbai Mountain but also the wealth of the entire nation—and even the world.