Changbai Mountain North Slope & Tianchi crater lake
长白山北景区（天池北坡） · Chángbái Shān Běi Jǐngqū (Tiānchí Běipō)
The classic route up the volcano on the China–North Korea border: a jeep-style shuttle climbs to Tianwen Peak (about 2,670 m) for the view down into Tianchi, the deep-blue crater lake; the same ticket covers the 68 m Changbai Waterfall, hot springs and forest trails below.
Stay the night before in Erdaobaihe and take the first shuttle: the lake is clearest in the morning and clouds roll in after noon. Tianchi straddles the border with North Korea, so stay on the marked paths, never step past boundary markers, do not fly drones and do not photograph border installations. Bring a windproof jacket even in July; the summit can be near freezing.
- Opening hours
- North and West areas open all year. Summer 2026 (July–August notices): gates check tickets 07:00–14:30, and the Tianchi summit shuttle until 15:30. Hours are shorter from November to April. The summit (Tianchi) closes at short notice for wind, fog, storms or snow, often for whole days in winter. To be confirmed
- Price
- Entry ¥105 + compulsory eco shuttle bus ¥85 + Tianchi summit vehicle ¥80 (needed to see the lake from the north). If you start from the Chibei transport hub in Erdaobaihe, the line bus to the gate is another ¥35. Half price for ages 7–18 and 60–64; under-7s (or under 1.2 m) free.
- How to book
- Real-name tickets only: book on the official “长白山” WeChat account or mini-program (or the “长白山一机游” mini-program) up to 7 days ahead, choosing passport as the ID type. Summer weekends and holidays sell out. You can buy one set per slope within 7 days; unused tickets can be refunded free until 24:00 on the day. Entry is by face recognition plus the passport you booked with. Check the “长白山气象台” WeChat account for the day’s summit weather. Could not get tickets? Tell us what you need
- Getting there
- High-speed train Yanji West → Changbaishan Station (about 1–1.5 hours), then taxi or the line bus from the Chibei transport hub to the North gate (about 30–40 minutes). Inside, the eco shuttle and summit vehicle do the rest; private cars are not allowed. To be confirmed
- Address in Chinese
- 吉林省长白山保护开发区池北区长白山北景区
Photo: JianWei Wen · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Checked against these sources on 2026-10-02. Rules change often, so confirm on the official site before you go.
- changbaishan.gov.cn
- m.thepaper.cn
- m.thepaper.cn
- cc.bendibao.com
- m.cc.bendibao.com
- nra.gov.cn
- en.wikipedia.org
Not yet confirmed by an official source: Opening hours, Getting there