Горы Чанбайшань

Mount Changbai (Changbaishan), also known beyond China as Mount Paektu, is the defining natural landmark of the Yanji and wider Yanbian region and one of the most spectacular natural attractions in northeastern China. Rated as a national 5A tourist attraction, it is the highest mountain range in Northeast China and is built around a massive volcanic crater lake known in Chinese as Tianchi, "Heaven Lake," which sits at the summit and serves as the single most famous image of the mountain. Yanji, as the main city of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, functions as one of the principal gateway cities for visiting the mountain's northern slope.

The mountain's most celebrated feature, Heaven Lake, occupies the caldera at the volcano's summit, formed after one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history and fed by rainfall and snowmelt rather than by any river flowing in. The lake sits across the border between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, with portions visible from both sides, and on a clear day its deep blue water ringed by the crater's rocky walls is one of the most striking single views in the country. Visibility at the crater rim is famously unpredictable, however, with cloud, mist, or wind often closing off the view entirely, so reaching the summit on a clear day is considered a piece of luck rather than a guarantee.

The northern slope route, accessed from the Chinese side and the most commonly visited by travelers arriving through Yanji and the nearby town of Erdaobaihe, takes in several signature sights beyond the summit itself. The Changbai Waterfall, one of the largest waterfalls in northeastern China, plunges from the volcanic plateau in a powerful single drop, while the Green Abyss Pool (Luyuan Tan) is a vivid turquoise pool surrounded by forested cliffs. The Underground Forest (Dixia Senlin), a sunken ancient forest growing in a volcanic rift valley, offers a very different walking environment from the open crater above, with moss-covered trees and cool air trapped between the rock walls.

A full visit to the northern slope, including transport to the mountain, the shuttle-bus connections within the park, and time at the main sights, generally takes a full day from Yanji. The site is at its most accessible from late spring through autumn, with summer and early autumn the most popular windows, and advance planning around weather is essential since the upper sections of the park, particularly the crater viewpoint, can be closed by storms or low visibility at almost any time of year.