通化市

Why this place

Tonghua is a mountain city in southern Jilin, known for ice wine and for the Goguryeo sites nearby — this area was the heart of the Goguryeo kingdom, which ruled much of the northeast and the Korean peninsula for centuries. The Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom are nearby, at Ji'an.

What to see

• The Goguryeo capital and tombs at Ji'an — UNESCO-listed, with painted tomb chambers
• Tonghua's ice-wine vineyards, harvested frozen in winter
• Longwan volcanic crater lakes in the mountains

What to eat

• Ice wine (bingjiu), made from frozen grapes — Tonghua's specialty
• Mountain mushrooms, ginseng and forest products from the Changbai

Best time

Summer for the mountains, September for grape harvest, January for ice wine