Atlas of China
Jilin 吉林Jílín
Rime-frosted willows, Changbai's crater lake and Korean-Chinese food culture
- Type
- Province
- Capital
- Changchun
- Featured places
- 1
- Cities and prefectures
- 9
- Listed sites
- 1308 rated 5A · 85 rated 4A · 45 national heritage
About Jilin
In its southeast corner Jilin rises to the volcanic Changbai Mountains, whose summit holds Heaven Lake, a deep crater lake on the border with North Korea. The Yanbian region is home to a large ethnic Korean community, and bilingual street signs, pounded rice cakes and bowls of cold noodles reflect that heritage. Winter brings a second high season: the riverside trees of Jilin City turn white with rime ice, and ski resorts fill the snowy hills.
Jilin at a glance
- Area
- 187,400 km²
- Population
- 24.1 million 2020
- Highest point
- Baekdu Mountain 长白山2,744 m
- Borders
- Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, North Korea, Russia
Area, population and highest point from Wikidata; the population is the latest census or official estimate there.
What to eat in Jilin
- Yanji cold noodles (延吉冷面)
- Pounded rice cakes (打糕)
- Ginseng-stewed chicken (人参炖鸡)
Places to visit in Jilin
-
Changbai Mountain & Heaven Lake 长白山天池
A volcanic crater lake on the China–North Korea border, often wrapped in cloud
Listed sites in Jilin
130 sites in Jilin are on the official lists, 8 of them rated 5A and 45 protected as national heritage. They are listed by city, with what each is and how to get there.
All 130 listed sites in JilinCities and prefectures of Jilin
- Baicheng 白城 City
Crane wetlands on the Nen River where the Horqin grassland begins - Baishan 白山 City
The western slopes of Changbai Mountain and Yalu River towns facing North Korea - Changchun 长春 City
Puyi's palace, an old film studio and the works that built China's first lorries - Jilin 吉林 City
Rime on the Songhua willows and a Manchu town that sent pearls to the Qing court - Liaoyuan 辽源 City
A small coal city at the head of the East Liao, where Allied generals were held - Siping 四平 City
Smoked-meat pancakes, Manchu heritage and a railway town fought over in 1946–48 - Songyuan 松原 City
Nets hauled through the ice of Chagan Lake and a stele of the Jurchen Jin - Tonghua 通化 City
Goguryeo royal tombs on the Yalu, volcanic crater lakes and wild-grape wine - Yanbian 延边 Korean Autonomous Prefecture · Yanji
Korean villages, Yanji cold noodles and the north slope of Changbai Mountain
Before you go
- Visas and visa-free entry Can I visit China without a visa?
- Paying for things How do I pay for things in China without a Chinese bank account?
- Internet and apps Will Google and my other apps work in China?
- Trains and 12306 How do I book train tickets in China with a foreign passport?
- Book popular sights early Which sights in China need booking in advance, and how?
- When to go When is the best time to visit China?
On the map
Open Jilin on the illustrated map to see where its places sit, how far apart they are, and to add them to a trip.
Open Jilin on the map