Weekend trip to the Changbai Shan volcano

Weekend trip to Changbai Shan volcano - Travel planning:

Three days with two overnight stays were planned over the Mid-Autumn Festival for visiting the Changbai Ski Resort and the Changbai Shan, the volcano through which the border between China and North Korea runs.

The trip was planned and organized by Donna´s language school in Changchun. This school is specially focused on the needs of the Expats living in Changchun and supporting them in their daily life.

From Changchun, the capital of Jilin Province in northeast China, we set off by car in the morning towards the northern side of Changbai. The journey takes about 5 hours, depending on traffic.

The Changbai Shan Wanda Skiing Resort:

The arrival at the accommodation Holiday Inn Hotel was in the early afternoon. The resort offers numerous activities that are included in the price.

These are in particular:
– Ascent to the top of the mountain with the lift
– Bike rental
– Summer toboggan run
– Use of the hot springs
– Entry to the adventure pool

After registering at the Tourist Office, you can organize your time freely.

Exploring the Changbai Shan Wanda Skiing Resort:

After checking in, a short lunch break and registration at the Tourist Office, we took the chairlift up. With a pleasant temperature and good visibility, we wanted to see the Changbai Shan volcano from the summit.

The chairlift ends about halfway up. From there you can comfortably hike further up a paved road or alternatively go down with a summer toboggan run.

We decided to first take the path passing the ski slopes to the summit. The summer toboggan run, the pleasure, we do on the way back.

On the way you will always find benches with a great view that invite you to linger or have a snack.

Once at the top you have a wonderful view towards the Changbai Shan and the resort at the foot of the skiing area. 

From the bird's eye view you have an amazing view over the autumn-colored ski area and the surrounding mountains.

At the end of the exploration of the ski area, we went down the mountain using the summer toboggan run. A bit of a shame that the end of the toboggan run is not directly in the resort. Unfortunately, you have to be brought back to the chairlift by bus and take it down to the valley.

After returning, it was time to pack your bathing suit and relax in the hot springs until dinner was ready.

The evening has been relatively short, because breakfast was served at 6:30 a.m. Afterwards we went to the volcano in the hope to see the crater lake at the summit.

Arrival at Changbai Shan Landscape Hotspring Hotel:

It is about a two-hour drive from Changbai Shan Wanda Ski Resort to the Landscape Hotel, which is located directly at the entrance to the north side of the national park. From there a bus drove straight to the national park in the direction of the summit.

The hotel offers spacious rooms and a delicious, varied breakfast buffet. A large area with numerous hot springs for resting and relaxing is also integrated.

The hotel is particularly characterized by its excellent location, right at the entrance to the Changbai Shan National Park. The shuttle buses stop right in front of the door. With the tickets reserved in advance, you can get to the central plateau of the volcano without any significant waiting time.

From here it goes on with minibuses, up to the summit of the volcano.

The Changbai Shan North Scenic Area:

The Heavenly Lake at the summit of Changbai Shan:

At the shuttle bus stop at the summit, the wind has picked up significantly and it has started to rain slightly.

It is advisable to get up early for the tour to the summit. The weather up on the mountain is unpredictable and can change by the minute. It is also advisable to wear sturdy shoes and warm, weather-resistant clothing. You should at least have a hat in your backpack.

The last meters of altitude are to be covered by foot. Meter by meter the wind gets stronger and it gets noticeably colder.

Upon arrival at the summit at 2744 meters, the view of the Sky Lake and across to the North Korean shore was clear for at least a brief moment. The weather, however, was extremely unpleasant.

A violent storm and rain that turned into snow and ice made the stay at the summit anything but pleasant and photography almost impossible.

Again and again the lake disappears behind the thick clouds and from time to time it appears again in a shadowy manner.

A short time later, nothing could be seen of the lake anymore and the snow storm ensured that the summit had been closed.

If you haven't made it to the summit yet, you have to try again another time. Rumors tell that only every third visitor has the luck to see at least a part of the lake.

Then the shuttle bus went back down towards the central plateau. The wind was barely noticeable there, the temperatures much more pleasant and the rain less intense.

The other sights in the northern part of Changbai Shan National Park:

Before we went on to visit the other beautiful viewpoints in the national park, it was time for a little refreshment.

Instant Hot-Pot and fresh cooked eggs out of the volcano spring were perfect to get some warmth and energy for the afternoon.

When finished eating, you can immediately wash and warm your hands in the volcanic washbasin at 83 ° C.

After the meal, the path led by foot towards the lake runoff of the Heavenly Lake. This falls as a spectacular waterfall, a little above the central plateau, into the depths.

The path towards the waterfall first leads over the sulphurous hot spring basins of the Changbai Shan.

The higher you climb, the more impressive the view of the entire volcanic landscape becomes.

The autumn-colored leaves from around mid-September create a wonderful atmosphere and quickly comfort you over the cold and dreary weather.

The view from below the waterfall down into the valley is overwhelming despite the cloudy weather.

If you turn around and look in the direction of the summit, you can see the waterfall, which is supplied with water by the Heavenly Lake.

Further down the valley, you can take an approximately one-and-a-half hour circular path through a beautiful forest. There are also other lakes with some spectacular waterfalls in the Changbai Shan National Park.

The animal world is also at home on the dormant volcano, the last eruption of which took place in 1903. In addition to wild bears and tigers, various, sometimes colorful, water birds are also at home here.

Conclusion:

The weekend trip to the Chinese-North Korean border with a visit to the Heavenly Lake on the Changbai Shan volcano was the perfect mix of hiking and relaxation in the hot springs of the volcanically active area.

Despite, or rather, because of the adverse weather conditions, the excursion turned out to be a very special adventure.

Special thanks to the organizers of Donna's language school, which also cares about the WeChat group “CC-Expats” and made the trip an unforgettable experience.