Mountain Birch

　　Among the many tree species on Changbai Mountain, the mountain birch stands out as noble and elegant, adding splendor to the vast forest.

　　In late autumn, we drove up the southern slope of Tianchi (Heavenly Lake), passed through the dense coniferous forest belt, and arrived at the upper part of the 1890-meter basalt plateau — Laolonggang. Looking into the distance from the mountaintop: Laolonggang undulates like a coiling black dragon, its head raised and tail swaying, as if ready to soar through the clouds. This is also where the Changbai Mountain volcanic cone lies. A marvelous landscape unfolds before you: patches of low, sparse mountain birch forests stand majestically on the mountainsides. As the altitude increases, the degree of trunk distortion becomes more pronounced. At higher elevations, the trunks are less than one meter tall. The once graceful and upright mountain birches are twisted in countless ways, hugging the ground or growing semi-prostrate with indomitable vitality. Their branches, bent uniformly southeastward by the fierce high-altitude winds, resemble weather-beaten elders bowed down by life’s hardships. Yet their crowns reach resolutely upward — impervious to freezing cold or howling gales. When an old tree withers, new green shoots emerge from others, demonstrating an unconquerable vitality.

　　The mountain birch’s unique existence as the upper-limit tree species of Changbai Mountain’s forests is truly rare, resulting from the harsh alpine climate and soil conditions. At altitudes between 1800 and 2000 meters, steep slopes, low temperatures, coupled with strong alpine winds and prolonged snow and rain erosion, make it nearly impossible for most trees to survive, which are almost entirely absent. Only the mountain birch thrives in this special environment. They form the only pure forest of a single tree species at the summit of Changbai Mountain — short in stature but towering in spirit. With indomitable vitality, they cling tenaciously to life, miraculously maintaining their evergreen presence. The mountain birch forest belt is a unique combination of alpine tundra and forest elements, where distinctive vegetation types intermingle. Rhododendron chrysanthum, a main shrub species here, thrives alongside. In spring and summer, when misty clouds shroud the mountains, the forest floor remains cool, damp, and shaded, with fragrant bushes and blooming flowers everywhere. Fallen trees, either naturally dead or felled by lightning, are tightly wrapped in moss. Every July and August, this area becomes a summer retreat for wildlife such as sika deer, black bears, and wild boars. Even more astonishingly, in the transitional zones between coniferous and mountain birch forests, clusters of pine and birch trees grow intertwined — roots linked, branches entwined — embracing each other closely like loving couples, creating a stunning and graceful “Pine-Birch Love” landscape belt. It evokes the feeling that “even the beauty of Xi Shi would be jealous, while their noble purity defies the heavens.”