Due to sharp climatic differences between summer and winter, any itinerary here is
highly dependant upon when you are in the province. In this set itinerary, there is more
flexibility than in other provinces for doing what you want dependant upon the season of your
visit. The following itinerary starts in Changchun, the capital of
the province. Day 1: Take bus No.10 from the railway station to the Puppet Emperor"s Palace & Exhibition
Hall and go back in time to China of the 1930s and 1940s. In the afternoon, take a bus
to the People"s Square and visit the Banruo Temple. If you start your Jilin
tour on Monday or Tuesday, you will have to spend the afternoon in the Changchun Film Studio, for the temple
stays closed on these two days. Stay in a Changchun Hotel. Day 2: You can spend the next day enjoying yourself at the Jingyuetan Ski Resort (take a mini bus
from the People"s Square or a taxi). If you prefer, you may even stay here overnight,
otherwise head back to Changchun. If you come in winter you may wish to spend longer here,
since one days skiing may leave you unfulfilled (and since the Heavenly Lake in
Changbaishan may not be worth a visit in the deep midwinter). Day 3: Take a long-distance bus (see Changchun Transport
for details) at 9am and arrive in Jilin City about half an
hour later. Have a good lunch at one of the local restaurants near the bus
station. In the afternoon, take bus No.3 to the Confucius Temple. Stay in a Jilin City Hotel. Day 4: In the morning, take bus No.3 from the railway station to go to the Meteorite Museum and take a look at the
allegedly largest extant meteorite on earth. In the afternoon, take bus No.7 from the
railway station and get down at the terminus--Beishan Park. Day 5: In the morning take a bus from the People"s square that goes to Songhua Lake Area. Since this place is
too large to cover within half a day and there are virtually no restaurants around, you
are advised to bring along some solid food. In winter, it is also an ideal place to
practice skiing. If you prefer, you may stay at the resort for the night and have a good
time the next day. (The rest of the tour is really for those visiting in summer or autumn, since
Changbaishan in the winter is a cold and inhospitable place. You should always check out
the weather report before you go and bring along a supply of food from Jilin City). Day 6: Take a bus from the long-distance bus station (see Jilin City Transport
for details) at 9am and you can expect to arrive at Changbaishan in 7 hours.
Check in at a hotel on
the mountain slope or, if you are on a budget, try one at the foot. Day 7: Get up early in the morning and head directly to The Heavenly Lake (Tianchi). After having
a brief lunch, you may head to the different scenic spots scattered around the lake,
including the Changbai Waterfall, the Hotsprings and the "Below Gound" Forests. For
sport fans, there is the Changbaishan Plateau
Winter Sport Training Area, but for this you will have to stay at your hotel for one
more night. Day 8: Take the first bus (see Changbaishan Transport
for details) that leaves the mountain at about 7am to Antu, from where you may catch train
No.556 for Beijing at about 11:50am. |