长白山

Why this place

Changbai Mountain is the highest peak in northeast China, a volcanic massif with a crater lake at the top — the deepest mountain lake in China — and the source of the Songhua, Tumen and Yalu rivers. It is on the border with the DPRK, and it is also the homeland of ginseng.

What to see

• Heavenly Lake (Tianchi) in the crater — often hidden in cloud, spectacular when it clears
• The Changbai waterfall and the hot springs on the north slope
• The alpine tundra zone above the tree line, with its own flowers
• The ginseng farms and the forest country at the mountain's foot

What to eat

• Ginseng dishes and ginseng liquor — the region's famous crop
• Forest mushrooms, ferns and Korean-Chinese cooking in the towns below

How to plan

Two days: the north slope one day, the west slope or the forest the next.

Best time

July–September; the mountain is snowbound from October to May

Practical tips

• Tianchi is visible on roughly one day in three — allow more than one attempt if seeing it matters