Tianchi Lake (Heavenly Lake) [Baishan]

"One of Top Five Most Beautiful Lakes in China"
Ranked by China National Geography Magazine

Tianchi Lake in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture of Jilin Province: Calm after the storm
The Changbai Mountain that is one of the 10 famous mountains in China is outstanding natural beauty. The mountain is famous for its marvelous volcano crater heavenly lake, rich flora and fauna and the elegant snow and ice scenery. The boundless stretches of forest sea and snowfields, the high and awesome waterfall and the elegant lake form the most marvelous North China scenery; can be called the great Eurasian Green Gallery.

Changbai Mountain is generally acknowledged as the most famous mountain in Northeast of China. The mountain rises in the northern part of Jilin's Antu County, and gradually extends southwards towards the North Korean border.

This area was formerly considered a Holy Land by the imperial Qing dynasty, since the region has been homeland of the Manchurian people. There are a variety of rare animal species including the black bear, leopard, lynx and Siberian tiger. The most famous of the sights in the Changbai region is the Heavenly Lake (Tianchi), the deepest alpine lake in China, with a depth of around 300 meters, and is the largest volcano lake in China.

The lake is the center point of one of the many Volcanic Craters that are scattered throughout Changbai Mountain, and this is the largest of them. The egg-shaped Tianchi Lake, with a circumference of 13 km, covers a total area of 10 square kilometers on top of the mountain. The lake, storing up to two billion cubic meters of water, is huge, the source of three of Jilin's most famous rivers, the Songhua, the Tumen and the Yalu. The water in the lake also comes from a variety of sources, from rivers, natural precipitation and the springs below.

In antiquity, Changbai Mountain was a volcano and history records three eruptions since the 16th century. Violent eruptions left behind a huge crater in which, as time went by, a lake was formed. The lava flows became 16 mountain peaks around the lake, seven of them within the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and nine in China. Its high altitude, 2,150 meters above sea level, gave rise to its name which translates as ''Heavenly Pool''.

Finally the lake comes attached with myths, most alarming is reports of dragons or monsters that dwell in the depths.

Best time to go
July, August and September
An average annual temperature is 35.6F to 42.8F. The coldest temperature is -9.4F to -29.2F and the hottest is 93.2F to 100.4F. The rain is centered from July to August.

Ticket
RMB 100/person, Sightseeing bus: RMB 45/person, Sightseeing bus to Tianchi Lake: RMB 80/person, Corridor of Tianchi Lake: RMB 25/person, Waterfall: RMB 15/person, Museum: RMB 20/person, Hot-spring bath: RMB 80/person, Garden of Beauty Pine: RMB 8/person, Float-stone Forest: RMB 30/person, Hulin Garden: RMB 50/person.

Around Landscape
Jingjiang Great Valley, Changbai Mountain Mixed Korean Pine and Broadleaf Forest, Mountain Garden, Snow-hill Lake, Peace Ski, Drift on Gudong River, Bright-moon Lake, Fumang Ecology Valley, etc.

Local Snacks and Specialties
Ginseng, Young pilose antler, Medicinal materials, Agaric, Cangshu, Wood Painting, Songhua Ink stone, Stone-engraved, etc.

Travel Tips
For the weather, raincoats and sunscreen are recommended, and try to remind you that the mists add a little unearthliness to the lake.
On the mountain it is colder, so take warmer cloth before climbing.
Buy and take enough necessity and get to know the weather before climbing mountain.
Please take sunbonnet, sunglass, umbrella, and suntan oil in summer.
Be sure to respect local ethical customs and traditions.

Distance
Beijing (1006 km) Changchun (406 km) Antu County (160 km) North gate of Changbai Mt
Beijing (1618 km) Yanji City (300 km) Changbai Mountain