Changbaishan
One of the true sightseeing highlights of a trip to northeastern China is Changbaishan (Eternally White Mountain), known as Mt Paektu in North Korea. This staggering mountain runs along the border between the two countries. Inside the dormant volcano crater at the top lies beautiful Heaven Lake. It is possible to climb to the summit from both sides of the border to gaze into the caldera below, and I am one of the lucky few who have had the opportunity to do so. Pictures from my trip to this mountain from the North Korean side can be seen by clicking here. This page shows some of the spectacular views that can be had from the Chinese side of the boundary.
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North entrance to the park, the largest biosphere reserve in China.
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Below, a shot of the gorgeous mountain peaks from the sightseeing bus parking lot. Private vehicles are not allowed into the park, and from this point forward park minibuses shuttle guests the rest of the way to the top.
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Using the zoom lens to try to check on weather conditions at the summit. The fact that I could actually see the summit was a good sign, as the weather at the top is notoriously fickle and the views are often clouded out. The three tiny triangle peaks on the top of the first picture below are part of a cabin structure that sits near the top of the crater lip.
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Park minivans shuttle tourists for the final section to the top. The roads are windy, and many of the drivers take these turns at high rates of speed both for tourists' amusement and to alleviate their boredom for having to drive up and down this same stretch of windy road all day. As our driver took each turn with the enthusiasm of a race car driver and each passenger looked for something to grab hold of, I noticed the sign below warning not to grab the driver's seat.
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Changbaishan summit parking lot. Here is the triangular wooden structure I spied from the bottom of the mountain. From this spot it's a bit of a hike up several flights of stairs to the actual summit ledge.
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Words cannot capture just how beautiful the view is from the top, so I shall let the following series of pictures do the talking for me.
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It's easy to locate the North Korean section of the mountains because the North Korean government has built a long staircase from the top down to the lake on the crater floor. Sadly, it's not possible to climb down to the lake from the Chinese side.
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A couple zoom shots across the canyon to the North Korean side on the opposite shore. Here is the top and the bottom of the staircase they have constructed to allow people to climb down to the valley floor.
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The North Korean side has an electric tram built into the side of the mountain that can take visitors to the top (when it's working). From the Chinese side, buses are the only way up. After getting to the top of China's vantage point, I turned my camera's zoom lens on the North Korean side to trace my steps from five years ago. I found a few people at the ledge just above the staircase. This is a very popular spot for photo shoots from the North Korean side as the view of the lake below and China beyond is stunning.
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This picture might not look like much, but it was a real treat for me to find this small vertical concrete slab on the opposite mountain ridge through my telephoto lens. This is the Mt Paektu summit marker on the North Korean side at the site of the highest peak elevation.
Click here to see this marker from the North Korean side, where I stood five years previously.
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Last glimpses of the lake before reluctantly having to leave this great view behind.
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Heading back down the Changbaishan slopes, sightseeing buses stop at a variety of other points of interest. Here is an area of steaming volcanic vents. If this were Japan, a 5-star onsen facility would no doubt be built here. But alas this is China, so no such luck.
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The water is so hot in some of these vents that locals cook eggs and corn in them to sell to passing tourists.
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A small hike to view Changbai Waterfall, still framed with remnants of snow even in summer.
