About Changchun
What to see and do in Changchun
Weather in Changchun
Airport in Changchun
Visa
Changchun (literally "Long Spring") is the capital and largest city of Jilin province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the centre of the Songliao Plain. It is a sub-provincial city.
The name originated from the Jurchen language. As of 2000, Changchun has a population of 7.1 million, including counties and county-level cities. The urban districts have a total population of 3.2 million.
Changchun formerly the capital of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. With a population of more than 6 million, it is one of the major cities in Northeast China (pinyin: Dongbei), and is the largest center for China's automotive industry. Changchun has long, cold winters with the temperature dropping as low as -30C; there is little snow, but the city is very windy and the air is dry.
Changchun hosted the 2007 Asian Winter Games.
What to see and do in Changchun
South Lake, a large park which is a favorite picnic and recreation spot for locals. In the summer, the lake is used for boating and water sports, and there is a stand of huge lotus plants near one part of it. In the winter, the lake freezes over and serves as a natural skating rink. In winter months it's a romatic and quiet place - but you have to suffer the low winter temeratures. The park almost feels like it is not part of a city, except that there is a good view of the skyscrapers in downtown Changchun across the lake. The park is a very safe place to wander around in the early evening.
Wenhua Guangchang (lit. Culture Square, Wenhua Guangchang), starting north of the crossroads of Xinmin Dajie and Jiefang Dalu, is a pleasant urban hangout which offers a glimpse into Changchun's Japanese imperial past. The square is surrounded by several historical buildings from the Manchukuo era. On the north end of the square sits the majestic former New Palace of the Emperor of Manchukuo, which was intended to replace the Puppet Imperial Palace mentioned below. On the south end of the square are the former Manchukuo State Council and Military Affairs buildings. These buildings, which are now affiliated with Jilin University, offer prime examples of early Twentieth Century Japanese architecture. On the square, vendors sell kites and various other products. Many people fly kites from this square, while others play traditional Chinese instruments or just sit and relax. More formal performances are sometimes held on a temporary stage set up near the high school. For casual visitors to Changchun, this is probably a good place to visit by taxi. Crossing the street to get to this location is a skill and best done with locals.
Puppet Imperial Palace is another place to visit to take in historical Manchukuo. The palace was the home of Pu Yi, the last emperor of China and puppet emperor of Manchukuo, and this centre of the Manchukuo administration may be worth a visit. Most signage is in English, and the grounds are nicely restored. Scenes from the acclaimed 1987 film The Last Emperor were filmed here. The admission fee in 2008 is RMB 80.
Jingyuetan National Forest Park (lit. Crystal Moon Pond) is 45 min from downtown to the south east of the city. It is the largest man-made forest park in Asia, and a great place for skiing in the winter. The admission is a rather steep RMB 30; or you could, like the locals, just climb through one of the many holes in the fence.
People's Square (Renmin Guangchang) is located in the Chaoyang District around the cross streets of Xi'an Lu, Renmin Dajie, and Changchun Dajie. It is one of the focal points of Changchun. It is close to Baishan Park, and a mini "Culture Square" of sorts. The site commemorates the Russian soldiers, and specifically Russian pilots that died to liberate Changchun during the Second World War.
Ginseng. As the region around Changchun is a top producer of ginseng, it is available at most pharmacies in the city.
Kites. Attractive and cheap kites are sold by vendors around Culture Square.
Sanfo is the leading outdoor gear stores in China and their store in Changchun is located at 668 Xikang Hutong,
Ziyou Dalu District.
Harbin is about 3 hours away by train. Train trips to Shenyang vary in length but can last as little as 4 hours.
Trains to Jilin city take an hour and a half. Beijing is 8-12 hours away.
Historical attractions (both in and around Changchun):
Jilin Provincial Museum
Built on the palace site of the late emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Jilin Provincial Museum
exhibits historic and cultural relics from the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages through the
Yuan Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty.
Museum of Imperial Palace of Manchu State
Although the history became the history, the Museum of Imperial Palace of Manchu State
still reminds us of the darkness at that period. It was here that Puyi, the last emperor of China
was installed as the nominal head of state by the Japanese. The Puppet Emperor's Palace is
located in the northeast of Changchun City. It is a series of buildings that are totally different
from modern styles. The palace bears witness to the Japanese invasion of Dongbei
(northeast part of China) and the royal tragedy of Puyi and his concubines.
Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom Those ancient remains of Koguryo Kingdom that ruled this area from 37 BC to 668 AD in the historical site are clear evidence to the once splendid but vanished civilization of the kingdom.
Badabu (Eight Branches of Manchukuo)
In 1932 the Japanese set up a State Council with Puyi, the last emperor of China, at its head.
Known as the Manchuhuo it governed from 1932 until 1945. The council had eight separate ministries;
these were the Department of Public Security, Department of Judicature, Department of Economy,
Department of Transportation, Department of Agriculture, Department of Education and Culture,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Sanitation and Zonghe Faya (the supreme ministry of justice).
The buildings that housed these departments are in the center of Changchun and each has their
own unique and distinctive characteristics.
Mosque
Changchun Mosque is in Muslim Hutong, Changtong Lu, Nanguan District. It dates from 1824 it
was the first and largest mosque to be built in the city. Following two large-scale extensions the
Mosque is both modern and very attractive. It is now the headquarters of the Islamic Associations
of both Jilin Province and Changchun City.
Wen Temple (Confucius Temple)
If you go to the east side of Yatai Dajie of Dong Er Dao Jie in Changchun, you will find the
old Wen Temple. Constructed in 1827 it is dedicated to Confucius, most famous and influential
educator and thinker in ancient China. Therefore Wen Temple is also called the Confucius Temple.
Nong'an Liao Tower
Nong'an Liao Tower (also known as the Buddha Tower) is in Nong'an County, about 60 kilometers
(about 37.3 miles) from Changchun City. The records show that it was built between 983 and 1030
during the Liao Dynasty (916-1125). In view of its history spanning more that a thousand years,
this ancient tower has become a must for those come to visit Changchun.
Non-historical scenery (both in and around Changchun):
Jingyuetan National Forest Park is located in the southeast part of Changchun City, about 18 kilometers (about 11.2 miles) away from the downtown area. Its name Jingyuetan comes from its large crescent shaped lake. This national park is famous for its picturesque scenery; therefore it is revered as a tranquil place in a blatant city'. In addition Jingyuetan is also referred to as the sister lake of the Sun and Moon Lake in Taiwan'.
Changchun Film City
Located in the southwest suburb, Changchun Film City takes film art and culture as its main theme.
It is a tourist attraction and a screen base of both movies and TV plays. Film World inside
Changchun Film City is known as the Chinese Hollywood'. It is the core attraction of the film city,
and has the largest indoor studios for dramas and MTVs in Asia. In addition Film World is also a
first-class visitor attraction with sightseeing, dining and entertaining.
Nanhu Park (South Lake Park)
The largest park in Changchun, Nanhu Park is located in the south part of the city. In midsummer
and early autumn of every year there will be lights festivals and other kinds of activities involving
folk customs. The cold winter period is the high time for Nanhu Park. Various kinds of activities,
especially sledges pulled by dogs or camels, will give you a chance to taste a real winter and
feel genuine happiness.
Address: Xinmin Plaza
Bus routes: No. 62, 13 or 25
Shengli Park
Shengli Park is the oldest park in Changchun. This park's great distinction is its collection of
more than 5,000 rare water lilies.
Address: intersection of Beijing Dajie and Renmin Dajie
Bus routes: No. 62 or 6
Changbai Mountain
Mighty Changbai Mountain is favored with majestic natural sceneries at which the people from
all over the world come to marvel. Tianchi or the Heavenly Lake is at the heart of this splendid place.
Songhua Lake
Songhua Lake is in the east of Changchun, about 24 kilometers (about 14.9 miles) southeast of Jilin City.
In fact Songhua Lake is a man-made lake, the largest lake and one of the most well known attractions in
Jilin Province. It was formed in 1937 when Fengman Hydroelectric Power Station was built across
Songhuajiang River. Surrounded by mighty mountains Songhua Lake is extremely beautiful and elegant.
Changchun is known as the SpringCity of the North due to its cozy climate characteristics. Changchun, situated between the east humid mountainous region and west sub-dry plain, has a continental monsoon climate of a temperate region. The spring and autumn are short and the weather changes all the time. The summer is warm and humid. The winter is long, cold and dry. The four distinctive seasons make Changchun area a good location to research and exploit the nature.
Monsoon Climate:
The special continental monsoon climate characteristics make the winter cold and dry, and summer
rainy and hot. Temperature Changes distinctively in the four seasons, making the temperature lower
in winter but higher in summer than that of the other regions at the same latitude.
Due to its transitional location, Changchun enjoys more sunshine and rain falls, thereby offering favorable climate for the local agriculture.
The whole year's average temperature is 4.8 C. The lowest temperature is -39.85 C and the highest 39.5 C. In summer, the southeaster prevails. Its annual precipitation is in the range between 522 and 615 mm, with 60 per cent falling in summer. The average temperature in July is 23 C. In autumn, pleasant and mild weather may last for days combined with more conspicuous temperature changes and lower wind speed than those in spring.
January -11 C to -23 C
February -7 C to -19 C
March 2 C to -10 C
April 13 C to 0 C
May 21 C to 7 C
June 25 C to 14 C
July 27 C to 18 C
August 26 C to 16 C
September 21 C to 8 C
October 12 C to 0 C
November 1 C to -10 C
December -8 C to -9 C
Changchun Longjia International Airport is an airport in Changchun, Jilin, China (IATA: CGQ, ICAO: ZYCC). The airport was approved for construction in 1998, and service to the airport started on August 26, 2005, after the closure of Changchun Dafangshen Airport. The airport is located 31 km from the downtown of Changchun and 71 km from Jilin City, and operations of the airport are shared by both cities. It is predicted that by 2013, the airport will be able to handle 3.2 million passengers per year.
Changchun Longjia International Airport is located in between Changchun and Jilin City. It is newly completed, opening on August 27th 2005 and capable of handling more than 3.2 million passengers per year. At present, there are flights to more than thirty domestic cities, such as Shanghai, Xian, Shenzhen, Nanjing, etc. and international flights to Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Sendai and Vladivostok.
Buses run hourly to the airport from Minhang Binguan (Civil Aviation Hotel, taking No.254, 361 and 269 city bus to get to this hotel) from 6 a.m. daily with the journey taking about forty minutes at a cost of 20 Yuan. A bus will depart two hours before every scheduled flight.
Longjia International Airport Inquiring Phone: 0431-8797111
Longjia International Airport Ticket Office: 0431-8797777
Airlines and other destinations of Changchun
Asiana Airlines (Seoul-Incheon)
Air China (Beijing-Capital)
China Eastern Airlines (Jinan, Nanjing, Shanghai-Pudong)
China Southern Airlines (Beijing-Capital, Dalian, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Jinan, Nagoya,
Nanjing, Qingdao, Sendai, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai-Pudong, Shenzhen, Tokyo-Narita, Yanji, Zhengzhou)
Hainan Airlines (Beijing-Capital, Tianjin)
Shandong Airlines (Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai)
Shanghai Airlines (Shanghai-Pudong)
Shenzhen Airlines (Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wuhan)
Kunpeng Airlines (Xi'an, Yantai)
Xiamen Airlines (Hangzhou)
To be able to travel to Changchun you need to have a valid China Visa, issue
from your local government at the China Embassy, Chinese visa fall into four types:
diplomatic visa, courtesy visa, service visa and ordinary visa. Ordinary visa
is further divided into the following 8 categories each marked with a letter:
(1) Tourist and family visit visa (L-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China
for tourist purpose, family visit or other personal affairs.
(2) Business Visa (F-visa ) is issued to a foreign citizen who is invited to China for visit, research, lecture, business, exchanges in the fields of science, technology, education, culture and sports, or attending various kinds of trade fairs or exhibitions, or short-term study, intern practice for a period of no more than 6 months.
(3) Student Visa (X-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China for the purpose of study or advanced study for a period of six or more months.
(4) Work Visa (Z-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China to work and his or her accompanying family members, or to give commercial performances in China.
(5) Transit Visa (G-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who is to transit through China on his or her way to a third country (or region).
(6) Crew Visa(C-visa)is issued to crew member performing his/her duties on board an international train, or on an international airliner, to a sailor on board an international ocean-liner or freighter, and also to their accompanying family members..
(7) Journalist Visa (J-visa)is issued to foreign journalists. J-visa has two categories: J-1 visa and J-2 visa. J-1 visa is issued to resident foreign journalists in China and their accompanying spouses and under-age children, J-2 visa to foreign journalists who visit China for temporary news coverage.
(8) Permanent Residence Visa(D-visa)is issued to a foreign citizen who has been approved by China's public security authority to reside in China permanently.
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