Changbaishan Canyon (大峽谷)

Another attraction in the Changbaishan scenic area is the Changbaishan Canyon (大峽谷). It is quite a deep canyon (going down 100m), with some interesting rock formations within it. However, it requires a separate entrance ticket, and its actually quite a distance from the Changbaishan park entrance at the northern slope.




The canyon itself is surrounded by pine forests, and looks really pretty in winter. There is a boardwalk running through the canyon, and makes for a very pleasant walk. The guidebook suggested that its a 40min walk, but I took almost 2hrs as I love photographing the winter scenes. Moreover, I seem to be the first and only visitor, as the boardwalk is covered with snow with no footprints at all. The boardwalk is on a raised platform, and with heavy snow, the edge of the boardwalk became barely distinguishable. So, extra care must be taken not to accidentally step off the boardwalk!



So, is the additional trip and entrance ticket worth it? Well, I enjoyed myself quite alot in there. However, in other seasons, the sceneries will be different, so your enjoyment mileage may vary :)

Heaven Lake in Winter (天池, 长白山)

One of the highlights in Northeast China is ChangBaiShan (长白山) and most guidebooks recommend a visit in summer, especially to see the beautiful Tianchi (天池). But I went in winter, and I was absolutely blown away by its beauty.


Tianchi, or Heaven Lake, is a lake in a caldera atop the Changbai mountain range which straddles China and North Korea. In winter, the lake is completely frozen, and seeing it from the peak of ChangBaiShan will certainly take your breath away, in more ways than one. At 2600+m, -28°C, and howling wind speeds, I needed the lake's beauty to distract me from the harsh conditions. It was indeed quite challenging for photography!!



However, access to the peak seems to be quite controlled. There are specially designated jeeps that bring you up to the peak's visitor station. Perhaps this is a good thing, since you wouldn't want to wander into North Korea territory... From the visitors station, its just a short trek to the lake viewpoint. Although it was extremely cold, I am glad I made the trip!!