Ji'an (Jilin)
The ancient capital of the Goguryeo kingdom, where the Gwanggaeto Stele, the General's Tomb and Hwando Mountain City are World Heritage sites, with North Korea's Manpo just across the Yalu River.
Ji'an is a county-level city under Tonghua in Jilin Province, located in southeastern Jilin on the north bank of the middle Yalu River, facing Manpo in North Korea across the water. From AD 3 to 427 it was the capital of the Goguryeo kingdom (Gungnae City and Hwando Mountain City), which left nearly 7,000 ancient tombs. In 2004 the “Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom” were inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, Jilin's only World Heritage site. Backed by the Laoling Mountains, Ji'an has a milder climate than the rest of Jilin, earning it the nickname “Little Jiangnan of the Northeast,” and it is known for ginseng, wild grapes and ice wine.
Areas to explore: ① Downtown — the Gungnae City site, Ji'an Museum, Ji'an Morning Market and the Riverside Plaza, all walkable. ② The Longshan area in the eastern outskirts — the Gwanggaeto Stele, the Tomb of King Taewang and the General's Tomb, which link up with the Yalu River National Gate scenic area and the border railway bridge east of the city. ③ The northwestern outskirts — Hwando Mountain City and the nobles' cemetery below it. ④ Wunüfeng National Forest Park to the north. ⑤ Yunfeng Lake and the Qingshi Town wineries to the northeast, and Xiahuolong Village and the wine center in Maxian Township to the southwest.
Best season: May–Oct, with the finest red leaves at Wunüfeng and Hwando Mountain City from late September to early October. Summers are cool and good for rafting on the Yalu; winters are cold, but you can ski and see the frozen Yalu River. Getting there: Tonghua has high-speed rail and an airport, and trains or buses from Tonghua to Ji'an take about 1.5 hours. Downtown sights are an easy taxi ride; for Wunüfeng and Yunfeng Lake, hire a car or self-drive. Allow 2 days: one for the Goguryeo sites (combined ticket about ¥70) plus the National Gate, and one for Wunüfeng or Yunfeng Lake. Note: this is a border area, so carry your ID at all times; do not photograph military installations on the other side, and do not shout or throw anything across the river.
Top sights
- Gwanggaeto Stele – The commemorative stele of Gwanggaeto the Great, the 19th king of Goguryeo. Standing 6.39 metres tall and carved with 1,775 characters, it…
- Tomb of the General (Tomb of King Jangsu) – A Goguryeo stepped-platform stone-chamber tomb known as the “Oriental Pyramid.” Built from more than 1,100 granite blocks into a seven-tier…
- Hwando Mountain City – An early-to-middle-period Goguryeo capital, the Wandu Mountain Fortress was built into a mountain in a corn-cob-shaped layout. Dozens of no…
- Tomb of King Gwanggaeto – A giant stepped stone tomb southwest of the Gwanggaeto Stele. It is larger than the General's Tomb but has collapsed, and the stone chamber…
- Gungnae City Ruins – A mid-period Goguryeo capital on the plains, with city wall remains in the centre of Ji'an, including the west and south walls and horse-fa…
- Ji'an Museum – A museum dedicated to Goguryeo artifacts, its building modelled on the General's Tomb, displaying gold ornaments, roof tiles, weapons and r…
- Wunü Peak National Forest Park – Pristine forested mountains about 21 km north of Ji'an, with five peaks in a row like five maidens. Autumn brings red foliage across the hi…
- Yalu River Border Gate Scenic Area – A border scenic area with the Ji'an port border gate and the Yalu River railway bridge, looking across to North Korea's Manpo city. It is t…
- Yunfeng Lake – A high-canyon lake formed by the Yunfeng dam on the upper Yalu River, surrounded by mountains, with views of North Korean villages across t…
- Ji'an Morning Market – A popular early market held within the Gungnae City ruins, opening before dawn, with a whole street of wild vegetables, ginseng, mountain g…
- Yalu Riverside Square – A riverside walkway along the Yalu on the south side of the city. It offers free views of North Korean villages across the water and serves…
- Yangyushi Yalu River Rafting – A Yalu River rafting trip from Xiajiefang Village in eastern Ji'an, drifting along the border river with China on one side and North Korea…
- Xiahuolong Village – A provincial key rural tourism village on the Yalu, themed on fishing culture as 'Yu·Wu'. Visitors can eat river fish, stay in guesthouses…
- Yalu River Valley Wine Culture Center – A 4A-level wine culture park in Maxian Township that showcases mountain grape ice wine production, with tastings of ice wine and dry red, p…
- Yushan Tombs (Wukuifen Tomb No.5) – One of five helmet-shaped earthen tombs on the southern slope of Yushan. Its chamber preserves late Goguryeo murals of the Four Symbols, Fu…
Where to eat
- Cui Family Goryeo Hot Pot – Long-established shop on the hot pan street, frying pork, beef, rice sausage and tofu on charcoal pans, the signature w…
- Jindalae BBQ (Liming South Street Branch) – Long-established Joseonjok barbecue by the Yalu River, where you grill beef and pork yourself, served with potato panca…
- Yinglan Joseonjok Restaurant (Ji'an Branch) – Jilin-based Joseonjok restaurant chain known for guobaorou and spicy braised pollock, with views of the Yalu River from…
Itineraries
- Jilin Longwan, Yalu River, G331, Changbai Mountain & Yanbian 10-Day Self-Drive Itinerary – Depart from Changchun, pass through Longwan and Ji'an, follow the G331 highway to Changbai Mountain, and end in Yanbian…
- Self-Drive from Shenyang to Changbai Mountain via Ji'an – From early Qing Dynasty historical sites to the Goguryeo capital, drive along the Yalu River to Changbai Mountain, and…