延边朝鲜族自治州
Korean China — bilingual signs, cold noodles and a volcano
Why this place
Yanbian is the Korean Autonomous Prefecture of Jilin, where a large ethnic Korean population means the street signs, food and language are Korean as much as Chinese. It is also the base for Changbai Mountain and the Tumen River border with the DPRK and Russia.
What to see
- Yanji, the prefecture capital — bilingual shopfronts and a strong Korean food culture
- The Tumen River border at Tumen and Hunchun, with the DPRK and Russia a short distance away
- Changbai Mountain's north slope, an hour and a half away
What to eat
- Yanji cold noodles (lengmian) — buckwheat noodles in chilled beef broth, the signature dish
- Korean-Chinese barbecue, kimchi and rice cakes
- Dog meat soup is traditional in the region — it is a real local custom, choose accordingly
How to plan
Two days in Yanji for food and the border, plus one or two days for Changbai Mountain.
Best time
June–September; the mountain is best in July–August
Practical tips
- Most people here speak both Korean and Mandarin — if you speak Korean, you can use it freely
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