Jilin (city)

Jilin (吉林 Jílín) is one of the most beautiful cities in Manchuria. The Han Chinese name Jilin comes from the original Manchurian name Kirim Ula, which means along the river. As per the name, the biggest attraction of this city is the Sungari River - in Han Chinese, Songhua River. The meaning of Sungari River is "white river."

Understand
Jilin has a population of 1.3 million people. It is bisected by the Songhua River. The city was originally a fortress and it was an important ship building city during the Qing Dynasty. During World War II, the city was taken by Russia and has never fully recovered from the damage caused by the occupation. Now it is a growing industrial city with some decent attractions, especially in the winter. For many, it serves as a staging point for travel to Changbaishan National Nature Reserve.

By plane
The nearest airport is Changchun Longjia International Airport (长春龙嘉国际机场 ) some 65 km away. The facilities are very modern and up to Western standards; there are banks and various shops. Credit cards are accepted by the airlines.

Domestic flights are available to Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Jinan, Kunming, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen, and Yantai.

There are direct international fights to Seoul, South Korea; Vladivostok, Russia; and Tokyo, Japan. However, travelling by air is expensive. A regular single to Beijing costs ¥940, over 4 times the cost of a rail ticket, although you can get a discount sometimes.

The new high-speed train covers the distance from Longjia airport to Jilin city in 30 minutes, and runs approximately every hour during the day (¥24). There is also a coach service from the airport to Jilin City approximately four times per day (¥20-30). A taxi ride may set you back around ¥200 including highway fees.

By train
Trains arrive at Jilin Railway Station (吉林站 Jílín Zhàn). The new high-speed rail corridor and the D trains that operate on the corridor have reduced travel times to Beijing and destinations in the northeast greatly. The shortest trip time to and from these popular destinations are as follows:
 * Beijing - takes about 7 hours (D train)
 * Shanghai - takes about 31 hours
 * Changchun - takes about 45 minutes (D train)
 * Dalian - takes about 12 hours (5 hours D Train)
 * Harbin - takes about 2.5 hours (D Train)
 * Shenyang - takes about 3 hours (2.5 hours D train)
 * Tianjin - takes about 14 hours
 * Yanji - takes about 5 hours

By bus
Main Long-Distance Bus Station at 13 Zhongkang Road, west of the railway station
 * Harbin - takes about 12 hours
 * Tonghua - takes about 12 hours
 * Yanji - takes about 6 hours

By bus
Jilin City's bus system is cheap and convenient, and most of the buses in the urban area charge only ¥1 no matter where you go. However, some buses become very crowded in the rush hour and you need to keep an eye on your valuables.

By taxi
There are many taxis in the city, and you can easily take one everywhere if you are in the urban area. All taxis charge a starting fee of ¥5 and an additional ¥2 per kilometer after the first 2.5 km. If you want to take a round-trip, the additional charge is ¥1.2 per kilometer. Unlike most cities in China, taxi drivers in Jilin are scrupulously honest, always use the meter (except outside the train station), and never drive you in circles. Fractions of yuan are rounded down under .5, and rounded up .5 and over. For example, ¥5.30 on the meter will cost you ¥5.00; ¥5.60 will cost you ¥6.00. As of September 2011, there was an additional ¥1 fuel surcharge for all trips.

Do






Local articles
Local articles to be found here include:
 * Ginseng &mdash; used as natural medicine, one of the Three Northeast Treasures.
 * Marten &mdash; fur used for clothing, one of the Three Northeast Treasures.
 * Pilose antler &mdash; from sika deer or wapiti, used as natural medicine and considered to be helpful against a great variety of weaknesses, one of the Three Northeast Treasures. They are produced from a number of large deer farms in and around Jilin.
 * Kirigami &mdash; paper cutting art works.
 * Painted calabash &mdash; local art works.

Go next

 * Changbaishan National Nature Reserve is 565 km east of Jilin City and Jilin City is a major staging point for trips to the mountain reserve.