Ascend to the foremost peak on Earth—Changbai Mountain, a must-visit in the Northeast: a heavenly mountain in an icy wonderland

▲ Changbai Mountain is one of China’s renowned scenic areas.

Reported and photographed by Jiayun Yu / Jilin, China

As the Chinese saying goes, “Millennia of snow, ten-thousand-year-old pines, ascending to the foremost peak on Earth.” The peak referred to here is Changbai Mountain. Located at the border between China and North Korea, Changbai Mountain is one of China’s most famous scenic areas and is even hailed as the “Sacred Mountain.” With its ever-changing charm throughout the seasons, Changbai Mountain becomes a vast, snowy paradise in winter. Covered in white and with frozen lakes, its majestic and breathtaking scenery seems otherworldly.

▲ Changbai Mountain in winter is a vast, icy wonderland.

Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province, northeastern China, is a boundary mountain between China and North Korea, with three-quarters of it lying within China’s territory, namely the western, northern, and southern slopes. Among these, the northern and western slopes are the most popular with tourists. Tour guides note that the most popular travel period for Changbai Mountain is July and August, when large numbers of visitors from around the world flock to the area. The coldest season is from January to March, with average temperatures around minus 22 or 23 degrees Celsius, and strong northeasterly winds. “The wind cuts right into your face!”

▲ The frozen waters of Little Tianchi Lake.

▲ Scenic snowy landscapes.

In December, Changbai Mountain is covered in a vast expanse of ice and snow, with layers of white blanketing the mountain peaks and vast pine forests standing tall amid the snow, evoking images of Scandinavia. When visiting Changbai Mountain, the most unmissable attraction is the famous Tianchi Lake. This volcanic crater lake has a circumference of 14.4 kilometers and a maximum depth of 373 meters, making it China’s deepest lake. It is also the source of the Songhua, Tumen, and Yalu rivers. In winter, the surface of Tianchi Lake freezes over and is covered in thick snow, while in summer, visitors can enjoy the serene, waveless waters and the reflections of the crater in the lake.

▲ Tianchi Lake covered in thick ice and snow.

Another attraction north of Tianchi Lake, the Julong Hot Springs, is a cluster of hot springs on Changbai Mountain, with dozens of springs reaching temperatures of about 60 to 80 degrees Celsius. The steam rising from these hot springs creates a misty phenomenon in the snowy landscape, forming a surreal scene set against the backdrop of distant mountains that resembles a fairyland. Visitors can also enjoy underground spring water at hot spring hotels at the foot of Changbai Mountain—a particularly invigorating experience while soaking in the snow at temperatures below minus 20 degrees Celsius.

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