Travel Destinations: Changbai Shan

In Jilin Province in China, you will find the country’s largest nature reserve, Changbai Shan. This is a beautiful 210,000 hectares of thick forest which straddles the North Korean border. This is a stunning place to visit, drawing thousands of tourists every year to its heart.

As it is so close to Korea, Changnai Shan is also popular with South Koreans who call it Mt Paekdu, or Paekdusan. The North Koreans have claimed that Kim Jong II was born here, but there are other accounts which state he was actually born in Khabarovsk, Russia.

At lower levels, you will find that the forests are full of Korean pine and white birch trees; at the higher elevations the landscape looks hauntingly desolate with no trees. The temperatures can rise and drop without warning – you could be hot at the entrance and freezing cold at the very top.

The nature reserve has two entrances, the west slope (xi po) and the northern slope (bei po), the latter being the busier out of the two. You can get to Heaven Lake, the main attraction here, from both sides but these entrances are separated by 100km of rail or road. On the western side, the key attraction is Changnai Shan Canyon.

You can catch a tour bus here in the summer when they will drop you off at the north entrance. Tourists will pose for photos standing in front of the gorgeous waterfall, eat eggs boiled in the steaming natural hot springs, hike up to Heaven Lake and then walk back down again.

You should be aware that visiting Changnai Shan can be expensive; you will need to pay for the transportation and entrance fees, as well as a fee for the waterfall area and a 4WD vehicle ride to Heaven Lake if you don’t fancy doing the walk.

Heaven Lake is the main attraction here at Changnai Shan and is absolutely beautiful. It is a volcanic crater lake at a 2194m elevation, with crystal blue waters, surrounded by jagged outcrops and misty mountainous peaks, making it look as though it had been transported out of a fairytale. There is a legend that claims Heaven Lake is home to a creature not unlike the Loch Ness monster in Scotland but, of course, there is no real proof of its existence.

It takes about an hour to climb up to Heaven Lake from the location where tourists board vehicles to avoid walking.

The waterfall and hot springs are other attractions at Changnai Shan. Instead of climbing the path which would take you up to Heaven Lake, turn the other way and start walking. You will pass several hotels on the way before arriving at this gorgeous waterfall and hot springs. It is created by the Erdaobai River running off from Heaven Lake which is the source of the Tumen and Songhua Rivers.

Another great spot in Changnai Shan is the underground forest. The verdant forest (Dixia Senlin) is located about 12km from the north gate and is a great place to hike. Walk the 30 minute trail to come to a forest-filled crater which makes for beautiful views.