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General
Introduction
Jilin
Province, one of China's important agricultural
provinces, in the central part of northeast
China gets its name from the city of the same
name in the province. It has an area of more
than 180,000 square kilometers and a population
of 22.1 million, of which 54 per cent live in
the country and 46 per cent in the cities. Of
its total population, 7 per cent are from minority
nationalities, such as Koreans, Manehus, Mongolians,
Huis, Xibes and Daurs.
Climate
Jilin has a temperate continental monsoonal
climate. It is the climatic transition zone
between the northern and southern parts of northeast
China, with cold and long winters, warm, short
and rainy summers, and a windy spring and autumn
with ever-changing weather. Jilin has a mean
annual temperature of 5.5oC., an annual ice-bound
period of around five months in its rivers,
and a mean annual precipitation of 400-1,000
mm. The precipitation at the southern foothills
of the Changbai Mountains exceeds 1,000 mm.
and decreases gradually from southeast to northwest.
Topography
Jilin
is high in the southeast and low in the northwest
and includes mountains, hills and plains in
three topographical zones: l) The Changbai Mountain
Area in the east includes the Baitou, Laoyeling
and Mudanling mountains. Here there are many
narrow valleys and small intermontane basins,
including the Yanji, Hunjiang and Dunhua basins.
2) The northwestern part of the province is
a section of the Songliao Plain and belongs
to the central part of the Northeast Plain.
It has a gently undulating terrain and is the
watershed of the Songhua and Liaohe rivers.
3) Between the Changbai Mountain Area and the
Songliao Plain are hills some 500 meters above
sea level interspersed with intermontane basins
and valleys.
The
Second Songhua River, the longest waterway in
Jilin, has a catchment area of over 70,000 square
kilometers, or 40 per cent of the province's
land mass. The Yalu and the Tumen rivers mark
the boundary between China and Korea. The largest
lake in Jilin is Songhua, also known as Fengman
Reservoir, which is one of the nationally known
artificial lakes. There are numerous other lakes
in the northwest, the larger ones being Yueliangpao,
Chaganpao and Dabusupao.
SCENES
& SIGHTS
Changchun
Changchun,
capital of Jilin Province, is lauded variously
as "Forest City", "City of Spring
North of the Great Wall", "Auto City"
"Motion-picture City", where transportation
is convenient, auto making has become a full-fledged
industry, commerce is thriving, and tourism
is making big strides.
Puppet
State's Imperial Palace
Changchun
used to be the capital of the puppet "Manchukuo
State" rigged up by Japanese invaders.
During his 1932-1945 tenure as the bogus emperor,
Aisin Gioro Pu Yi had left a legacy there, including
his imperial palace, the puppet state council,
and many other large buildings each with a style.
Jingyue
(Clear Moon)
The
local people extol Jingyue (Clear Moon) Pool
in Changchun as "Sparkling Emerald Pearl"
and regard it as a "sister" to Taiwan's
Riyue (Sun and Moon) Pool. The 4.3-square-km
pool is in a national forest park where the
ecological system is well protected. The place
has become a national forest park and a scenic
resort where holidaymakers go for sightseeing,
recuperating, recreation, and other purposes.
Facilities, including a world-class skiing ground,
have been built to wow sightseers and winter
sports fans.
Motion
Picture City
The
well-known Changchun Film Studio, where many
outstanding movies have been made, lures visitors
with a series of tourist and recreational programmers
related to the motion picture industry. Asia's
largest indoor film studio is in this motion
picture center.
Jilin:The
waterfront city of Jilin is a major tourist
city by Songhua River.
Rimed
Trees in Jilin
The
rimed trees of Jilin are extolled as one of
tour major natural wonders of China along with
Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, the landscape
of Jilin, and the Stone Forest of Yunnan. In
winter the Songhua River keeps flowing through
Jilin despite the subfreezing temperature, and
the vapor rising from the surface of the river
freezes when it meets the pines and willows
ashore. Thus encrusted with layers upon layer
of ice, the tree branches and twigs look transparent
and form a spectacular crystal world that never
fails to attract visitors.
Songhua
Lake
The
550-square-km Songhua Lake in southeast Jilin
City is part of a national scenic resort with
limpid water and elegant mountains. Like Songhua
River, the lake looks exceptionally attractive
in winter with rimed trees.
Beidahu
Skiing Ground
Beidahu
Skiiing Ground is in Songhua Lake Scenic Resort,
56km from downtown Jilin and 141km from Changchun.
With an ideal terrain, a long and prodigious
snowing season, relatively mild temperature,
and equipped with world-calibre facilities,
it is a renowned skiing ground in China.
Yanji
City
Yanji,
capital of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture,
provides vital access to the Changbai Mountains
and the Tianchi Lake. Transportation is made
convenient by regular flights that link the
city with major cities all over the country.
The local Koreans, living in compact communities,
are born singers and dancers.
Tianchi
Lake
The
volcanic Tianchi (Heavenly) Lake, 10 square
km in area and 204 meters in average depth (373
meters at the deepest), marks the boundary of
China and Korea on the top of Baitou Mountain,
the main peak of Changbei Mountains. Skirted
on all sides by mountains, the lake is known
for its sublime natural beauty.
Changbai
Mountains Nature Reserve
Covering
a total area of 2,000 square km, Changbai Mountains
Nature Reserve is, as a mammoth natural zoo
and botanical garden, part of the UNESCO'S Man
and Biosphere Program. The Tianchi Lake, Vertical
Scenery, Aerial Park, hot springs, and waterfalls
are among the six local natural wonders. The
mountains, covered with primitive forests, make
an excellent bio-tour destination.
Ji'an
City
Ji'an
a city on the Yalu River, was the capital of
Koguryo in ancient times. Among its many sites
of historical interest are the General's Tomb,
a stone table dedicated to a local king, and
nearly 10,000 ancient tombs.
Xianghai
Nature Reserve
On
the edge of the Songliao Plain, and in Tongyu
County in eastern Horqin Grassland, Xianghai
nature Reserve is the natural habitat for 293
kinds of precious birds, including six breeds
of cranes. The idyllic prairie and the local
Mongol folklore combine to make this bird watching
place a very fascinating place.
Ice-and-Snow
Tours
Skiing
tours to Jilin are one of a series of New Millennium
China tourist programs. Songhua Lake, Changbai
Mountains, Jingyue Pool in Changchun and Beidahu
near the city of Jilin are major destinations
for such tours.
Major
Festivals
Changchun
International Film Festival:
Venue: Changchun; Time: August 23-28.
Rimed
Tree Festival:
Time:
January 18-23;
What's
no: winter sports, ice lantern and bonfire parties,
and Manchu and Korean folklore celebrations.
Yanbian
Korean Folklore Festival:
Venue:
Yanji; Time: August 31-September 3;
What's on: authentic Korean folkways and performances,
and tours of Changbai Mountains.
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