Jilin City (Rime & Beidahu)

Home of the Jilin rime ice, one of China's four great natural wonders; together with the Beidahu and Vanke Songhua Lake ski resorts, it's the top pick for a Northeast China winter trip combining rime and skiing.

Jilin City is the second-largest city in Jilin Province and the only prefecture-level city in China that shares its name with its province. The Songhua River winds through it in an S-shape, earning it the nickname "River City of the North". It is best known for its winter rime ice: water released from the Fengman hydropower station upstream stays above 0°C, so even in the depths of winter the river doesn't freeze and gives off clouds of vapor that condense overnight on the willows and pine branches along the banks. This "tree frost" is ranked alongside the Guilin landscape, the Three Gorges of the Yangtze and the Stone Forest of Yunnan as one of China's four great natural wonders. There are two main viewing areas: the Rime Promenade along Songjiang Middle Road in the city, reachable on foot; and Rime Island (Wusong Island, with the villages of Zengtong and Hantun) in Wulajie Town, Longtan District, about 40 km downstream, where the rime is thicker and the setting more rural. Many visitors spend the night on a heated kang bed in a farmhouse there, then shoot at dawn following the local saying: "see the mist at night, the frost at dawn, and the falling 'flowers' toward noon." Rime usually appears from late Dec to Feb and needs a clear, very cold night (around −20°C or below) with little wind, so it's never guaranteed — allow 2–3 days and follow the local weather bureau's rime forecast. The other star of the winter season is skiing: Beidahu Ski Resort (venue for the snow events of the 2007 Asian Winter Games in Changchun and many international competitions) and Vanke Songhua Lake Resort are both within an hour's drive of the city, with a season running from about late Nov to late Mar. In summer the Songhua riverside is cool, good for riverside cycling and trips to Songhua Lake. Getting there: Changchun Longjia Airport is about an hour's drive from Jilin City, and the Changchun–Jilin intercity high-speed train takes about 30–40 minutes; to reach Rime Island, hire a car or take a tourist shuttle. In winter guard against frostbite, keep camera batteries warm, and beware of icy riverside paths. Ski resort prices and season dates change each year; check official sources.

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Itineraries