- 1 - North Slope View of Changbai Mountain
The Changbai Mountain is renowned for the top 10 mountains in China, and a
National Nature Reserve in Jilin Province. The respectable leader Deng Xiaoping
highly appraised after his trip, he said, “It will be a lifelong regret for not mounting
the Changbai Mountain.”
Now we are in the world-fame Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve. It
was founded in 1960. In 1980, it was listed among the International Man and
Biosphere Protection Net as a World Nature Reserve. In 1986, it was in the list of
National Forest and Wildlife Reserve and in 2000, it was authorized Grade AAAA
Tourist Site.
Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve is a nature and forest ecosystem with the
Tianchi Lake as its center. The reserve covers a area of 196465 hectares and situated
in the three counties of Antu, Fusong, Changbai, and is close to the DPRK
(Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) to the Southeast. It is also the best preserved
nature reserve with the most abundant species of wild plants, and most intact
ecosystem among those at the same latitude all over the world. There are more than
2540 species of wild plants and 1508 kinds of animals, among which 364 kinds are
vertebra animals and 780 are insects.
The natural environment of Changbai Mountain is of complicated variety.
Climate, soil and living things are changing distinctly with the rising of elevation.
From its foot to top, 4 distinctive sceneries are formed because of striking change of
temperature: Broadleaf Trees, the Belt of Conifers, Birch and the Belt of Tundra. At
the foot of the mountain, trees are lush and flourishing, but in the top of the mountain
there are no trees, no grass at all. (If we climb the mountain, it seems as if we traveled
from the temperate zone to the polar zone. A poem pictures this:
The mountain experiences 4 seasons in a day,
Its temperature differs dramatically in a 10-li way.
The Changbai Mountain is a dormant volcano which has erupted three times.
The 1st eruption took place in August, 1597, April 2nd, 1668 and April 3rd, 1702—over 300 years up to now. and now its geographic changes are still going on.
The magic and charm of the mountain lies in its magnificent nature vies and
winter scenery with thick snow. Here you can enjoy the boundless virgin woods,
vertical landscape belts, distinctive volcanic landforms and the deepest crater lake of
the highest elevation in the world. The Changbai Mountain Waterfall is of 68 meters
dropping in elevation with hot springs scattering densely in this are. All this shows the
mountain is a charming resort you’re longing for.
Now our bus is going through the green corridor, you can have a look at the
beautiful view.
1. The Belt of Conifers and Broadleaf Trees at the elevation 500-1000
meters above sea level. The trees grow lush and in profusion. This place is
called “the sea of trees and the plain of snow.” In some particular areas on
either bank of the 二道 White River grow a special plant-Beauty Pine. Most
of the 300 Changbai species of vertebrates grow here. (兽类有东北虎、
- 2 - 梅花鹿、马鹿、野猪、黑熊等；鸟类有鸳鸯、榛鸡、大山雀等； 爬行类有蝮蛇、草蜥、松花蛇等；两栖类有中国林蛙（哈什蛙）、花背蟾蜍等。Such as
beasts like northeast tigers, spotted deer, red deer, boars, and black bears;
birds like mandarin ducks, hazel grouse, tomtits; reptiles like vipers, grass
lizards, snakes; and amphibians like Chinese forest fogs and figured-back
toads, etc. )
2. The Belt of Conifers between 1000-1700 meters. It is moist and its
temperature drops sharply. (树木以耐寒的针叶树如红松、云杉、冷杉、落叶松等为主。针叶林带常见的兽类有紫貂松鼠、棕熊等；鸟类有三齿啄木鸟、黑琴鸡等；爬行类有蝮蛇、送花蛇；两栖类有日本雨蛙、林蛙。There grow
many species of trees with cold-enduring conifers as their major, including
red pines, dragon spruces, firs, larches, etc. There are beasts such as
sables, squirrels, brown bears, etc.; birds such as 3-teeth, wood peckers,
heathbird; repitiles, such as vipers, snakes; amphibians such as Chinese
frogs, Japanese hylas, etc. )
3. The Belt of Birch which locates from 1700 to 2000 maters. The mountain is
steep and it is severely cold in winter, rainy and windy in summer.
(岳桦林带的兽类高山鼠兔，鸟类有山雀、柳莺等；两栖类有林蛙。There are
beasts such as mountain mice and hares and birds such as mountain tit,
willow warbler. And the amphibian is the Chinese frog.)
4. The Belt of Tundra distributed above 2000 meters. It lies on the middle
and upper part of the volcanic cone. (高山苔原带有多年的草本地衣、苔藓等；每年六七月，，太原上百花争艳，宛如美丽的天然花园。这个地带的
