This is my second visit to Changbai Mountain. The last time was 12 years ago, when I visited the West Slope; this time, I chose the South Slope.
Due to visitor caps, fewer crowds, remote location, spectacular scenery, and the fact that no stair climbing is required, the South Slope has become a highly sought-after destination. During peak season, you even need to rush to secure a reservation. Of course, we visited during an extremely quiet off-peak period, so tickets were available even on the same day.
We set off from the Park Hyatt Hotel at 7:30 AM. The drive to the South Slope takes just under two hours, mostly along national highways with light traffic. You will pass through three border checkpoints: the first one seems pretty casual; at the second, the driver needs to scan their face; and at the third, they may ask if you’re carrying a drone and whether everyone in the vehicle is Chinese. There is also a tunnel under construction that currently allows only one-way traffic at a time. It’s staffed, so vehicles from one side must pass before the other side is allowed to enter, which requires a short wait. The rest of the journey went smoothly with little traffic, but note that there is virtually no cell signal along most of the route—signal is only available at places like the scenic area entrance, Tianchi, border checkpoints, towns, and villages… Please drive safely, as having an accident in an area with no signal would be very troublesome…
We arrived at the South Zone parking lot at the summit around 9:30 AM. Parking costs 20 yuan per visit.
The entire scenic area essentially runs along the China–North Korea border. Throughout the area, there are signs everywhere prohibiting photography toward the North Korean side and forbidding communication with North Korean personnel. Your phone may also occasionally switch to Pyongyang time, which is one hour behind local time, so you might want to temporarily disable automatic time zone settings at the scenic area entrance.
Our tickets were originally for the 9:00–10:00 slot. We entered the scenic area by scanning our ID cards directly and took the park shuttle all the way up to the Tianchi summit. The ride takes about 40–45 minutes; the buses don’t drive very fast, especially around curves, so motion sickness shouldn’t be an issue.
The elevation climbs steadily, and the last ten minutes offer breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding mountains—it’s absolutely beautiful…
After getting off the shuttle, it’s a 300-meter walk to Tianchi. Along the way, you’ll pass a boundary marker where you can stop for photos.
The Tianchi viewing platform isn’t very large, but Tianchi itself is truly stunning. There’s also a dedicated photo spot featuring two large stones—one engraved with “Tianchi” and the other with “Changbai Mountain.” Taking your own photos is free; you just need to wait in line. Staff members can also take photos for you; printed copies cost 30 yuan, though unfortunately digital files aren’t provided. This is indeed the best photo spot, so I recommend heading straight here to queue up as soon as you arrive.
We were lucky that day—the weather was perfect, and it wasn’t cold on the mountain, though it was a bit windy. In reality, wearing a windproof hard shell was sufficient; no insulating layer was needed. I suggest checking the weather forecast before your visit. The Changbai Mountain Weather WeChat official account usually posts the next day’s weather conditions for each scenic area and Tianchi around 3:00 PM daily. Weather on Changbai Mountain can be highly unpredictable; winds are strong at higher elevations, and when conditions turn bad, the wind chill can make it feel extremely cold, so be sure to dress warmly.
The opening status of Changbai Mountain Scenic Area generally falls into several categories, announced each morning via the Changbai Mountain WeChat official account:
- Good weather with all scenic areas open—this is the best-case scenario, and you have a high chance of seeing Tianchi.
- Poor weather but all scenic areas remain open—in this case, you might not see Tianchi upon arrival, but if you wait a while, there’s still a chance.
- Poor weather with Tianchi closed but other scenic areas open—in this situation, you definitely won’t be able to see Tianchi, so it’s advisable to refund your ticket and visit on another day.
- The entire scenic area is closed—in this case, your only option is to refund your ticket…
Tickets for Changbai Mountain Scenic Area can only be purchased through the official Changbai Mountain WeChat Mini Program. Rules change frequently, so it’s best to check the Mini Program directly~~
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