Central Jilin

The central Jilin urban belt of Changchun, Jilin, Siping and Liaoyuan, known for Manchukuo historical sites, film culture, the rime-ice wonder and skiing.

Central Jilin, according to the province's official three-region division, includes Changchun, Jilin City, Siping and Liaoyuan, and is the urban belt where the province's population and economy are most concentrated. The provincial capital Changchun is a city of modern history and film culture: the Puppet Emperor's Palace Museum and the Eight Puppet Ministries buildings record a particular chapter of history, the Changchun Film Studio Museum shows the development of film in new China, and Jingyuetan National Forest Park and South Lake are places where locals relax. Jilin City lies along the Songhua River, where winter rime ice along the river is one of China's four great natural wonders, and can be viewed along the riverside in the city or on Rime Ice Island in Wulajie, Longtan District; the Beidahu and Songhua Lake ski resorts are well-known ski areas in Northeast China, and in summer Songhua Lake is also good for escaping the heat. Siping has the Siping Campaign Memorial Hall, and Liaoyuan, featuring coal-mining industrial heritage among other things, sees relatively few visitors. A classic plan is one to two days in Changchun in winter, then two to three days in Jilin City for rime ice and skiing, for a total of four to five days; it can also be a transit starting point for Changbai Mountain. For transport, Changchun Longjia International Airport lies between Changchun and Jilin, the Changchun–Jilin intercity railway makes travel between the two cities very easy, the Beijing–Harbin high-speed railway passes through Changchun and Siping, and the Changchun–Hunchun intercity line continues east to Yanji. Rime ice requires specific temperature and humidity conditions and does not appear every day, so leave some flexibility in your schedule; winters are bitterly cold, so guard against the cold and slippery surfaces.

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Itineraries