Fangchuan Village

　　Fangchuan Village, situated in Jingxin Town about 70 kilometers south of Hunchun City, lies at the foot of Zhanggufeng Mountain at an elevation of just 3 meters, making it the lowest point in Jilin Province. A few kilometers further lies the "T" boundary marker, jointly erected in 1886 by Wú Dàchéng, an imperial envoy of the Qing government, and Russian representative Baranov. From here, it's only 15 kilometers to the mouth of the Tumen River, where you can gaze out at the Sea of Japan. Climbing the watchtower on a nearby hill, you can see the misty Sea of Japan stretching to the horizon in the distance, while nearby, the landscapes of China, North Korea, and Russia unfold before your eyes — to the left is the Russian border town of Podgor'neya, and to the right across the river is North Korea’s Tumangang. The locals in Fangchuan proudly say this is a place where “you can view the mountains and rivers of three borders, and hear the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs from three countries.”

　　Lotus Lake covers a water surface area of 480,000 square meters, with a width of 480 meters on the east side and a maximum north-south length of up to 1,000 meters. The lake water is crystal clear. Bordered by mountains to the east and forests on three sides, the lake naturally produces a full bloom of lotuses every year. Locals often come to pick the lotus, which remains vibrant for a long time — quite a marvel. Every mid-August, the lake is graced by red, white, and pink lotuses shining brilliantly together, their beauty dazzling. With azure blue, lush green, and vivid red forming the main hues of this fresh, clean, and exquisite landscape painting, the lotus flowers are either in bud or blooming openly to greet visitors. When a gentle breeze blows, a fragrant aroma wafts through the air. Wild ducks, seabirds, red-crowned cranes, and egrets often play in the lake, adding a unique charm. A renowned late-Qing poet, Han Wenquan, once praised the scene with the verse: “The secluded valley feels like entering a land of gentlemen; the deep mountains reveal fairy beauties.”

　　Zhanggu Lake is located one kilometer west of Zhanggufeng Mountain. It measures 800 meters in length and 700 meters in width, with azure-blue, mirror-like, and tranquil waters surrounded by mountains — a serene and elegant setting. The combination of green mountains, lake water, and sand dunes is a marvelous work of nature. It is one of the key scenic spots in the Fangchuan Scenic Area. Zhanggufeng Mountain, also known as Knife Mountain, lies 1.5 kilometers north of Fangchuan Village on the China-Russia border, on the eastern bank 40 kilometers upstream from the Tumen River. At an elevation of 152 meters, its summit serves as the watershed border between China and Russia and is the main peak in the north. The mountain forest is distinctive, and the flat summit offers great views. It gained fame due to the “Zhanggufeng Battle” between China and Russia, and remnants of war can still be found on its slopes.

　　Zhanggu Lake is located one kilometer west of Zhanggufeng Mountain. It measures 800 meters in length and 700 meters in width, with azure-blue, mirror-like, and tranquil waters surrounded by mountains — a serene and elegant setting. The combination of green mountains, lake water, and sand dunes is a marvelous work of nature. It is one of the key scenic spots in the Fangchuan Scenic Area. Zhanggufeng Mountain, also known as Knife Mountain, lies 1.5 kilometers north of Fangchuan Village on the China-Russia border, on the eastern bank 40 kilometers upstream from the Tumen River. At an elevation of 152 meters, its summit serves as the watershed border between China and Russia and is the main peak in the north. The mountain forest is distinctive, and the flat summit offers great views. It gained fame due to the “Zhanggufeng Battle” between China and Russia, and remnants of war can still be found on its slopes.

　　The T Marker is located at the starting point of the China-Russia border in Fangchuan Village, Jingxin, Hunchun. It was erected in 1886 during the resurveying of Hunchun’s eastern border. In 1886, Wu Dacheng, an official in charge of border affairs under the Qing Dynasty, a Left Vice Censor of the Censorate, and a renowned epigrapher, argued forcefully to have the boundary marker that Russia had unilaterally erected at Yangguanping moved northward to this location. As a result, he reclaimed the area of Heidingzi (now Jingxin Town), which had been illegally occupied by Russia. The T Marker is 1.44 meters long, 0.5 meters wide, and 0.22 meters thick, made of granite. On the Chinese side, the three large characters “T Marker” are engraved vertically in the center, and the eight smaller characters “Erected in April of the 12th Year of Guangxu” are carved vertically on the left. The Russian side bears the letter “T,” making it the fifth boundary marker jointly erected by China and Russia.

　　The China-North Korea Railway Bridge is an iron railway bridge located at the China-North Korea border. It is 650 meters long and 20 meters wide, standing 11 meters above the river surface. From a distance, the railway bridge looms majestically amid the misty waters. The Yangguanping Embankment, hailed as the “No. 1 Dam in the World,” is located on the road from Jingxin to Fangchuan. Historically, Fangchuan was like an “enclave,” isolated “overseas,” with two “isthmuses” connecting it to the interior. The narrowest section, the Yangguanping segment, was washed away by the Tumen River in 1957, forcing local residents to rely on traveling through Russian territory to reach Fangchuan for many years. It was reopened to traffic on August 8, 1983, giving Fangchuan its own direct route. The embankment is 888 meters long and 8 meters wide, built by filling the river with bluestone. The eastern side of the embankment belongs to Russian territory.