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Jilin Province - Changbai Mountains 长白山Covered by primitive forests, Changbai Mountains contributes to most of the prefecture’s excellent scenery. Most famous among these locations is the mysterious and holy Tianchi (Heavenly Pool) Lake, which stands at around 2,300 meters above sea level and is the common origin of the three big rivers in Northeastern China—Yalu, Tumen and Songhua rivers. The lake lies in the Changbai Mountains between the ever-changing landscapes of Tianchi Lake, and especially the breadth of the lake, is a marvelous testimony to the greatness of nature. To reach the mountain summit, the tourist has to take a Toyota land cruiser to navigate the twisting road through the great mountains. Perhaps no one knows exactly how many bends the road has, but passengers can attest to the many steep and dangerous turns. The vegetation in the Changbai Mountains varies by height, from low bushes at the foot of the mountains to trees including poplar and birch, then to the evergreens and pines, and finally to large areas of moss and unknown small flowers. Colours of these plants very as well. Dark green at the first layer, then blue green, and the light green. The higher the mountains, the lighter the colours. Finally, the green completely turns to yellow and white, the colour of the remaining snow on the slopes. Seen from the mountaintops, the lake looks like a flat and motionless mirror—or, more appropriately, like a bright eye. Blue is not the only colour of the lake, layered with ice that has not thawed in the warm. Strangely enough, except the cold blue colours of the lake, the mountains are not reflected on the glassy surface. Many explanations were made concerning the origin of the lake, and the most persuasive one was that the lake was formed by consistent volcano eruptions, the latest record of which was in 1702,. Stories of the lake can be heard among the Han, Manchu and Korean peoples. One tale, found in both Korean and Manchu legends, is of a fairy who used to bathe in the lake and fell in love with a local man. No wonder, certainly, that their fabled off springs became Korean or Manchu people. In the Korean version the husband is a peasant while in the Manchu story he is a brave hunter. Landscapes above Tianchi Lake can change rapidly. Tianchi Lake totals 4.5 kilometers from north to south, 3.8 kilometers from east to west, its perimeter being 13.6 kilometers; Water surface covers 10 square kilometers, the elevation of the water surface being 2,185 meters; the deepest is 373 meters, average depth being 204 meters, the total storage is 2 billion cubic meters. The water temperature in the pool is lower year-round, while in summer it ranges 8 to 12 degrees centigrade; it freezes by the end of November and melts in mid-June the following year. Sixteen mountain peaks in all directions reflect in the pool, resembling 16 giant men sitting around drinking happily. There is a 68-meter drop elevation (between two points in a stream) waterfall flowing to the northward. The waterfall is the main source of Songhua River, and the place of origin of Tumen and Yalu rivers as well. Other wonderful scenes surrounding the lake include the great Changbai Waterfalls, which is as high as several hundred meters, and hot springs in which local people can boil eggs. The Tumen River divides the three countries. China and Russia share the left bank while the DPRK on the right. Within the Chinese border, a large area of white sandy wasteland can be seen surrounded by rivers and forests in the mountains. A large lake lies near the wasteland, in which thousands of lotus flowers can be seen during mid-summer, sharply contrasted to the wasteland.
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