Live Your Best Lives
Living in the south, I often have my own set of cold air, and it seems like I'm selectively retreating from places that seem even colder. But isn't the point of the four seasons that spring, summer, autumn, and winter each have their own unique charms? Shouldn't we save winter for watching and playing in the snow and save it for summer?
When it comes to watching and playing in the snow, firstly, it has to be extremely beautiful, and secondly, we have to choose a place with sufficient heating. Playing in the snow is crazy, and you will feel warm as soon as you enter the house. You can also experience eating popsicles in a heated room wearing short sleeves.
After searching around, You Xiaoxia was attracted by a romantic city. Everyone has memorized Chairman Mao’s poem "沁园春·雪". The line "The scenery of the north is a thousand miles of ice and snow, and ten thousand miles of snow is drifting" is the most appropriate description of this place.
At the foot of Changbai Mountain, known as the "Fairy Mountain," the "Frost Feast," one of the "Ten Wonders of the World," has begun. At 43°, the world's golden latitude for skiing, lies two of China's best ski resorts.
Ginseng, deer antler, Ganoderma lucidum, toad oil and other precious and rare medicinal materials are all specialties here, making it a rare Feng Shui treasure land.
Yes, today we are going to explore this ultimate city for viewing snow, the origin of Northeastern civilization, and the city with the same name as the province - Jilin City, Jilin Province.
Many people are surprised when they first hear about Jilin City. Isn't Jilin a province? If you haven't been to Jilin City to see the rime flowers or ski, you might not know that there's a city in China with the same name as a province. And what's remarkable about Jilin City is that the province is named after the city.
Jilin City is located in the central part of Jilin Province, in the northeastern hinterland of Changbai Mountain Range, on the banks of the Songhua River in the transition zone from Changbai Mountain to Songnen Plain.
This place is rich in resources and products. The land, water, mineral, forest, and wildlife resources are all higher than the national average, and the water resources are 1.8 times the national average!
Jilin City is one of the important areas where humans first inhabited and developed in Northeast China. Human settlement sites dating back 20,000 years have been unearthed here. It can be said that the first trace of urban civilization in Northeast China was born in Jilin City.
It is the birthplace of Northeastern civilization and the oldest city in the region. Jilin City was founded in the 12th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign and served as the capital of Jilin Province until 1954. It is the second home of Peking Opera and home to nearly 35 ethnic groups.
In the Songhua River Boat Release Song composed by Emperor Kangxi during his eastern tour to Jilin City, there is a line that goes “The ships with masts linked together are stationed in the river city”, so Jilin City is also known as “River City” and “River City of the North”.
For quite some time, Jilin City has been an important transportation hub and new industrial base for Northeast China and Jilin Province. In 2012, Jilin City once again topped Forbes' list of the best business cities in mainland China.
The eastern mountainous area of Jilin City is known as the "Sea of Forests". It is also the hometown of the world-famous "Three Treasures of Northeast China": ginseng, sable fur, and deer antlers. Among them, the production of ginseng and deer antlers ranks first in the country.
"Green mountains on four sides and water on three sides, half of the city is covered by mountains and half by rivers." Jilin City is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with the standard Azure Dragon on the left (Longtan Mountain), White Tiger on the right (Xiaobai Mountain), Vermillion Bird in front (Zhuque Mountain), and Black Tortoise at the back (Beishan Mountain).
To the west lies Xuantian Ridge, while the southeastern mountains are knee-deep in snow. The mountains are deserted, and you can hear the falling snow. Regardless of the name, what other city has such a majestic landscape?
Zhuque Mountain National Forest Park, the first of Jilin City's four famous mountains, is located in the foothills of Zhangguangcai Mountain, a branch of Changbai Mountain. It is a national forest tourist area consisting of Zhuque Mountain, Wujia Mountain, and Pastoral Scenery.
With a total area of 5,662 hectares and an altitude of 871 meters, the forest coverage rate reaches 97%. Here, trees are shady and rugged rocks are everywhere. From the peak, you can overlook the winding Songhua River.
Beishan Park is a nationally renowned temple complex that integrates Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.
Beishan has two peaks, one east and one west, connected by a stone bridge. Among the eight scenic spots in Jilin City, the Beishan Twin Pagodas, the Evening Bell of Yao Temple, and the Sunset on the Virtue Monument are all located here.
Xuantianling is one of the famous hills in Jilin City. There is an extremely majestic Taoist temple here called Xuan Di Temple.
Xuan Di Temple is well integrated with modern art. Some netizens commented that it has "excellent aesthetics". Perhaps the most handsome stone lions, stone leopards and stone qilins in the whole Jilin City are all here.
The wall paintings and pavilions inside are very beautiful. Walking among them, especially on snowy days, you will feel like you have traveled into a costume drama.
"Water on three sides" refers to the Songhua River that winds in an S shape through Jilin City. Here is my country's first large-scale hydropower station, the Fengman Hydropower Station, the "Mother of China's Hydropower."
It was printed on the 50-cent note of the second series of RMB in 1995. It even has a museum! Speaking of museums, Jilin City is famous for its museums, such as the Confucian Temple.
Jilin Confucian Temple is one of the four major Confucian temples in China. It was built in the first year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1736).
From the nine-colored brackets of the Dacheng Hall, the nine dragons and nine phoenixes on the main ridge, to the 9981 door nails of the Dacheng Gate, all of them display the splendor and solemnity of the palace architecture.
The pace of life in Jilin City is slow. The Songhua River runs through the city center, and it can be said that the city is built around the Songhua River. It is very suitable for summer vacation (around 20 degrees Celsius) and has excellent resources for playing in the snow in winter.
The public transportation in Jilin City is more convenient than that in Changchun. Taxi fare in the city starts at 6 yuan. There are riverside parks, floating music hot springs, and even just taking a walk by the river and enjoying the breeze is a romantic experience.
For tourists who want to slow down and relax on vacation, it is definitely a good choice!
The Songhua River, one of China's seven major rivers and the largest tributary of the Heilongjiang River within China, is a beautiful and fertile river, nourishing vast tracts of fertile land beyond the Great Wall and providing a livelihood for the fishing and hunting peoples of Northeast China for millennia.
Above picture @CCTV "Aerial China"
The Songhua River has two sources, the southern source (main source) is the west-flowing Songhua River originating from Tianchi Lake in Changbai Mountain. Counting from the southern source, the Songhua River is 1,927 kilometers long!
In the depths of winter, the lowest temperature on Wusong Island drops below 20°C, freezing water to the point of freezing. However, the slowly flowing Songhua River never freezes, steam rising from the air and ducks leisurely swimming around, creating a truly magical scene for outsiders.
Songhua Lake, covering an area of 554 square kilometers, is not to be missed for watching winter fishing and tasting the Songhua River specialty "Three Flowers and One Island" (four kinds of precious fish in the Songhua River basin - Aohua fish, bream, Jihua fish and island fish).
Those who have watched "A Bite of China" should be familiar with winter fishing. Winter fishing is the most primitive fishing and hunting method used by people in cold regions.
Early in the morning, a team of people brought a big iron hammer, dug a hole in the ice on the lake, put a net in, and then dug from the other side to pull the net out. With the passionate slogan of "Big fish, here they come, big fish, here they come", big fat fish swam up the net, and a lively and joyous folk performance came to a successful conclusion.
The big fish caught are stewed directly. The delicious iron pot stewed fish is paired with fragrant Northeastern rice. Even a rice lover can finish three bowls!
Being called the Snow City, the level of viewing and playing in the snow is extraordinary. The rime, one of the "Ten Wonders of the World", is breathtaking. You can enjoy two of the top ski resorts in China in one trip!
Jilin's rime flowers are known as one of the "Four Wonders of China" along with the Guilin landscape, Yunnan's Stone Forest, and the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. They are also one of the "Ten Wonders of the World." Rime flowers, commonly known as tree hangings, are neither ice nor snow, but frost hanging on trees.
Do you think the rime here is the same as the trees in the southern mountains covered with a layer of snow? Too young, too naive. Only after coming here will you understand what "breathtaking" means.
I saw the last message in the background of You Xiaoxia. Many friends, like me, want to go to Wusong Island to see such a rime.
Come to Wusong Island! This natural island on the Songhua River is known as the "Crown of Rime in Jilin City." In winter, mist rises from the unfrozen river water, which meets the cold air and condenses into frost flowers on the trees. The beauty is like stepping into a Nordic fairy tale.
The ten-mile-long embankment is covered with white snow. In this quiet world of ice and snow, people who are in it seem to be unable to feel the flow of time, only the tranquility and emptiness isolated from the world.
Don’t miss the sunrise and sunset here. Accompanied by the hazy mist, it’s like walking in a fairyland. I really envy the people of Jilin who can see such a romantic scenery every winter!
The Rime Corridor, also known as the Ashhada Rime Viewing Belt, is the best place to view rime in Jilin City besides the Rime Island.
Low temperatures and abundant moisture are the hallmarks of deep winter along the Songhua River. As you journey up the river, the winding path stretches deep into the water, where rime adorns the forests and riverbeds, creating a truly spectacular sight.
Skiing is often called "white opium" because it's as addictive as other sports like diving, skydiving, and rock climbing. Jilin City boasts some of the best skiing in China, boasting two of the top ten ski resorts in China. You can even ski and enjoy the rime scenery!
Picture @ Beida Lake Resort official website
The ski resort here not only has excellent natural conditions but also complete facilities and equipment, which can meet the travel needs of adults, children and other families and friends. It is the best choice for winter snow vacation!
43° north latitude is the "golden latitude" where many of the world's famous ski resorts gather. Songhua Lake Ski Resort is one of them, having won the World Skiing Award for four consecutive years.
Image @ Vanke Songhua Lake Resort official website
This is a world-class ski resort modeled after the Colorado ski resorts in North America, and it has introduced first-class cable cars, snow groomers, and snowmaking equipment.
There are 37 high-quality ski slopes, with a skiing area of 1.51 million square meters, an altitude of 935 meters, and the highest drop of the mountain is 605 meters, which can accommodate 10,000 people skiing at the same time.
With great skiing from November to March, Vanke Songhua Lake Resort in winter is a skier’s paradise!
There is also the country's longest beginner ski slope (5.21km), a super slalom slope and off-piste slopes that meet international standards.
There is also a 50,000-square-meter large snow entertainment park and the only children's ski school in the country. With mountains, flower fields, grasslands, and Nordic towns, everyone from beginners to experts can experience the fun of playing in the snow freely.
Beida Lake Ski Resort is located in the Songhua Lake Nature Reserve, which is part of the Changbai Mountain range.
The entire area is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with little wind in winter. It has an altitude of 1,400 meters and has high-quality powder snow, which fully meets the needs of alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, etc. The venue has reached the level of an international snow competition venue.
Picture @Xiaohongshu-Buddhist Youth
Compared with Vanke Songhua Lake Resort, the ski slopes here have a larger drop, fewer tourists, and are open at night, making it more popular among professionals.
With a maximum slope of 42°, the steep drop provides a faster skiing experience. Known as "Asia's Powder Snow Paradise," it serves as a training base for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
Picture @ Beida Lake Resort official website
Come to Jilin City to ski, just four words: have fun!
Jilin City has China's first public museum dedicated to exhibiting meteorite showers - the Jilin City Meteorite Museum.
It houses the world's largest meteorite - China's Jilin No. 1 meteorite.
There are also various meteorite specimens sent from more than a dozen countries around the world.
In addition to being able to see the "meteorite itself", the digital image galaxy corridor and the surround screen movie are quite shocking and definitely worth seeing!
When you come to Jilin City, in addition to seeing the river, snow and stars all in one place, there are also many niche and internet celebrity check-in spots.
Zhou Dongyu and Liu Haoran's "Flames on the Plain" was filmed in Jilin City, and many netizens went to the carbon factory where the filming took place to check in.
Picture @ Movie Stills
The Songhua River Railway Bridge with an industrial style.
There is also the former site of the Machinery Bureau. The old house in the courtyard was once the first munitions factory in Northeast China and is very distinctive.
There is also Jilin West Railway Station, one of the most beautiful railway stations, the Catholic Church, Lafa Mountain, Fuyuan Pavilion, Erhe Snow Village, and many more interesting and fun places waiting for you to explore!
Jilin City in winter is truly stunning! Legend has it that Longtan Mountain actually has dragons, and Beishan Mountain is truly spiritual. Or at least, you have to visit Jilin City to see the rime at least once in your life, right?! Join us for a perfect winter in Jilin City!
