Changbai Mountain Travel Guide – Attractions, Things to Do, Hiking Routes

Written by Clementine | Updated January 14,2026

Basic Travel Information:

• Location:Fusong County, Baishan City, southeast of Jilin province
• Chinese name:长白山
• Altitude:2,691 meters
• Ticket:CNY 105 for entrance ticket
• Opening hours:North slope area: 06:30-17:30; West slope area: 07:30/08:00-15:00; South Slope area: 08:00-16:00
• Highlights: Heavenly Lake, waterfall groups, volcanic hot spring, valley forest, rime, skiing

What is Special about Mount Changbai

• Unique geological wonders: the mountain itself is a dormant volcano, and it boasts the world’s highest and deepest crater lake, Heavenly Lake.
• Rich ecological treasures: the mountain is the origin of Songhua river, Yalu river and Tumen river and is home to many rare plants and animals.
• Breathtaking winter scenery and abundant activities: the snow covers the mountain like a carpet in winter, providing excellent conditions for various unique activities, such as rime drifting and skiing.

What to See at Mount Changbai

Heavenly Lake

The most renowned scenic spot in Changbai Mountain is Heavenly Lake, which will be the highlight of your China travel. Heavenly Lake is located at the top of the main peak of Changbai Mountain, which is a volcanic cone. It is the highest and largest alpine lake in China. The elevation of Heavenly Lake is 2,189.1 meters, and it looks like an oval with 4.4 kilometers long from north to south and 3.37 kilometers wide from east to west. The total storage capacity is 2.04 billion cubic meters. It is also the deepest lake in China with the deepest point reaching 373 meters. What’s more, it nurtures three great rivers in northeast China — Songhua river, Yalu river and Tumen river.

Changbaishan Grand Waterfall

Heavenly Lake is surrounded by magnificent peaks. And on the north side, there is a gap between Tianwen Peak and Longmen Peak, where the pool water overflow from the gap and flow towards north about 1,250 meters from the cliff to form a drop of 68 meters high waterfall group, which is the famous Changbai waterfall group. It is a renowned scenic spot in Changbai Mountain Scenic Area, and is also the largest waterfall group in northeast China. It connects Heavenly Lake in the upstream and Erdao Bai river in downstream, which is also the source of the Songhua river. You can have a distant view of the entire waterfall at Waterfall Viewing Slope or approach to feel the splashing water and the thunderous sound closely.

Julong Hot Springs

Julong Spring is the largest hot spring in the group of hot springs, with the widest distribution and the highest water temperature. Julong Spring, the first spring in Changbai Mountain, is located at 900 meters north of the Changbai Grand Waterfall. With the covering area of more than 1,000 square meters, Erdao Bai River flows through the middle of the spring. On the right side of the river, there are dozens of springs and 7 larger springs. Countless hot spring flow from the bottom of the earth, which looks like a group of dragons spraying water, so it got the name as “Julong Spring”.

Valley Forest

Growing underground, this magical valley forest is also called underground forest, a very characteristic scenic spot in Mount Changbai. Because of the large-scale collapse of ground caused by the volcanic eruption millions of years ago, a grand valley was formed and the entire forest sank into the valley bottom. This is the valley forest we see today. The forest is over 2,500 meters long and over 50 meters high. When overlooking on the wooden plank road, it seems as if the forest grows under your feet. This visual contrast is very stunning.

Green Deep Pool

Located on the north slope scenic area in Changbai Mountain, the most eye-catching view of Lvyuantan is the emerald green, clear and deep pool water. Under sunlight, it presents a charming blue-green color, just like an emerald embedded in the valley. On one side of the pool is a cascading waterfall with a height difference of 26 meters. The most unique thing about the waterfall is that it actually consists of three parallel waterfalls. Together with the fish inside the pool and the surrounding Betula ermanii forest, a lively ecological scroll unfolds before your eyes.

Jinjiang Grand Canyon

Jinjiang Grand Canyon is also a splendid natural landscape shaped by volcanic activities. Till now, it is still changing slowly. The canyon is in a clear “V” shape and it converges from the southern and northern sections of the Jinjiang River. On both sides of the valley are dense primeval forests, which retain the extremely primitive natural state. During the tour, just give the rein to your imagination when watching the various volcanic rock landscapes. You will find some of them are like bears, dinosaurs, cocks, etc. It is very interesting.

Related reading: How to Plan a Winter Trip to Changbai Mountain

Top Things to Do in Changbai Mountain

Hiking

In Changbai Mountain, hiking is the best way to immerse yourself in the magnificent natural scenery. Both light hiking routes and challenging routes are available here and you can feel the tranquil primitive forest and stunning volcanic geology no matter which route you choose. North Slope is densely populated with scenic spots and is the best-developed, so it is suitable for most tourists. West Slope offers the widest view of Heavenly Lake, but a total of 1,442 steps need to be conquered. Tourists who have good strength can challenge it. South Slope will treat you to the best view, but it is only open in summer and relatively far. Choose as you like.

Explore the Flora and Fauna

Changbai Mountain definitely deserves the title of “species gene bank”. From peak to mountain foot, you will see the four vertical distribution zones clearly. The vegetation changes from conifer – broadleaf forest, conifer forest, betula ermanii to alpine tundra with the elevation of forest. And each zone also boasts its own unique animals, such as black bear, sika deer, manchurian tiger, Chinese merganser, etc. You may encounter some small animals during the tour.

Drifting in the Rime Forest

The drifting in the rime forest will make you feel like travelling in the ice and snow fairy world. While the experience in the North Slope and South Slope is somewhat different. In North Slope, the heavy mist creates a more dreamy scene and it is relatively gentle. A leisure experience can be enjoyed. While South Slope is featured by the pine trees covered with snow and rapid water flows. The experience will be more exciting. No matter which one you take, make sure to sit steadily in case you fall into the water accidentally. The water is extremely cold here.

Volcanic Hot Spring

In Jilin Province, there are various hot springs in Changbai mountain area. The most famous group of Changbai hot springs is located at 900 meters to the north of Changbai waterfall. These springs flow warm water out of the cracks of the rocks, which looks like dragons spraying water. The hot spring here are hot volcano self-overflow hot spring, and the temperature of the spring is more than 60 degrees Celsius with the hottest more than 80 degrees Celsius. In winter, even the hot springs are surrounded by snow and ice, the hot springs are steaming hot. Hot water vapor from the hot spring congeal on the surrounding vegetation, forming a unique rime. Changbai hot spring is also known as the “god water”, because the spring contains hydrogen sulfide, zinc, lithium and other trace elements, which can relax muscles, activate blood circulation, dispel cold and diseases, eliminate fatigue, promote blood circulation and accelerate human metabolism.

Skiing and Ice and Snow Festival

Thanks to the long snow season and excellent snow quality, several ski resorts have been opened in Changbai Mountain. For beginners and intermediate skiers, Heping Ski Resort and Hongsongwang Ski Resort suit you more. For advanced skiers, Changbaishan International Ski Resort will amaze you, which meets the Winter Olympic-level standard.

Besides, the Powder Snow Festival and Ice and Snow Tourism Season are held to welcome tourists. Varieties of activities are designed to enrich the experiences, such as the snow sculpture exhibition, Snowland Train, skiing competitions, carnivals, etc.

How to Visit Changbaishan Mountain – Recommended Hiking Routes

Changbai Mountain has 4 slopes, and three of them are in China: North Slope, West Slope and South Slope. Each of them has been developed into a scenic area. The north and west scenic areas are open to tourists all year round, while the south scenic area is open for 5 months (June to October) every year due to the influence of climate and environment. The north and west scenic spots are 110 kilometers apart, while the west and south scenic spots are 120 kilometers apart. All of them lead the way to Heavenly Lake, but the scenery is different in each area.

North Slope Scenic Area

• Time needed: 6 – 8 hours
• Hiking route: Heavenly Lake – Grand Waterfall – Julong Hot Spring – Green Deep Pool – Small Heavenly Lake – Underground Forest.

North scenic area is located at Erdaobaihetown, and the entrance is 31 kilometers away from the town. It is the earliest to be developed, so the facilities are complete and essence attractions are concentrated. Most tourists prefer it. Equipped with sightseeing cars and flat walkways, its hiking intensity is the lowest.

West Slope Scenic Area

• Time needed: 4 – 5hours
• Hiking route: climb 1,442 steps to Heavenly Lake- Boundary Marker between China and North Korea – Ladder River – Jinjiang Grand Canyon – Alpine Garden (seasonal scenic spot – Wangchi (seasonal scenic spot)

The west scenic spot is located at Songjiang river town, and the entrance is 30 kilometers away from the town. This area is developed later, but it offers an obstructed view of the entire Heavenly Lake. But you need to conquer the 1,442 steps. This 900-meter-long way will take about 30 minutes, making the hiking relatively difficult.

South Slope Scenic Area

South scenic area is located at the Manjiang town, and the entrance is 80 kilometers away from the town. It is the most primitive and mysterious area of Changbai Mountain, and the sightseeing area is limited. Besides the Heavenly Lake, Yalu River Grand Canyon, Yuehua Twin Waterfalls and alpine wetland are the main attractions. Usually, it is recommended to hire a professional guide if you plan a hiking tour here, because only simple facilities are provided and the intensity is the highest. And the hiking route and duration are based on your own choice.

Tips: West Scenic Area and the North Scenic Area adopt a combined ticket. That is to say, with one ticket, you can enter both areas for free as many times as you like within five days.

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Classic Changbai Mountain Tour

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Changbai Mountain Tickets and Opening Hours

• Price of ticket:

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Best Time to Visit

With the charming scenery and moderate temperature, summer and autumn are the best time to visit Changbai Mountain. In summer, it is an ideal summer resort and suitable for hiking, but rain gears should be packed. In winter, you can go skiing in Changbai Mountain, but it will be a little cold and in extreme weather condition, some scenic spots may be closed.

Tips: Visitors had better avoid the official holiday in China, because many Chinese citizens choose to travel on official holidays to ease the pressure of their work. As a result, many Chinese tourist attractions are overcrowded and traffic jams are common. Therefore, visiting China at this time will bring tourists a less pleasant travel experience.

How to Get to

By Air

Changbaishan Airport is the closest airport to Changbai Mountain. After arrival, you can take a tourist bus West Scenic Area directly. If you plan to North Scenic Area, take the tourist bus to Erdaobaihe Town first and then take a taxi there.

By High-Speed Railway

Visitors can take the high-speed railway to Changbaishan Station in Dunhua. And after getting off, visitors need to take a bus to Erdao Baihe town, and then take a taxi to the North Scenic Area. If you want to visit West Scenic Area, you can take bus at the Dunhua Long distance bus station to Songjianghe town, and then take a car there.

Explore Changbai Mountain with China Xian Tour

During the tour in Changbai Mountain, the biggest challenge is the opening status of the scenic area can not be ensured, so a flexible itinerary is needed. Our local guide is good at dealing with the situation. He can make reasonable adjustments in time. Besides, if you want to experience the popular Harbin tour with Changbai Mountain, we can also tailor a trip based on your demands. Of course, we will include the hotels, tickets and driver for a carefree tour. So do not hesitate to contact China Xian Tour.