Changbai Mountain 3-Day 2-Night Itinerary: Food and Accommodation (with a view of Tianchi Lake)

A word of caution: When traveling to Changbai Mountain, Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) must be at the top of your itinerary! As soon as Tianchi is open, drop everything and head straight there! For those planning to visit Yanji and Changchun as well, closely monitor the weather forecast for Changbai Mountain and Tianchi during your trip. If the weather is good, be prepared to change your plans and take the high-speed train to Changbai Mountain. Trust me, if you take the plunge, you'll see breathtaking scenery that will leave you with unforgettable memories! Because that's how I succeeded, haha! Main Text: We stayed in Erdaobaihe Town throughout our trip. The town is small, so taxis are readily available and inexpensive no matter where you stay. However, our driver mentioned that during peak season, it can be difficult to get a taxi and you might have to wait in line. Many hotels there offer pick-up services from the station, so check beforehand. Also, in winter, it gets dark around 3:30 or 4:00 PM, so be sure to go out early. Erdaobaihe Town is very close to the North Slope of Changbai Mountain; it's generally only a 4-5 kilometer drive from the town to the North Scenic Area Visitor Center. If you want to go to the West Scenic Area Visitor Center, you'll need to hire a car, which will cost around 400 yuan round trip. You can share a ride. In winter, the roads are icy, so the speed is limited, and the one-way trip takes about 1.5-2 hours. Changbaishan Station is about 6-7 kilometers from the town, about a 15-minute taxi ride. Food: 1. Beef Soup Rice in the Factory Area (see p16). They only offer four items: soup rice, side dishes, fried egg pancakes, and tofu with scallions. If two girls don't have large appetites, they can just order one bowl of beef soup rice, one serving of tofu, and one side dish. The beef soup rice is authentic, very fresh and fragrant, and the tofu is tender and tasty. We didn't order the fried egg. And here's the highlight: their side dishes are absolutely delicious!!! They're the best kimchi I've had during my entire trip to Northeast China! The side dishes in Yanji can't compare at all. They also have a very wide variety of side dishes, with a whole large refrigerator for you to choose from. Each plate costs 6 yuan, and you can take as much as you want as you can. Highly recommended!!! 2. Stewed Chicken in a Wood-Fired Iron Pot (see p17). We ordered the two-person stewed chicken set meal for 122 yuan, without any extras, and there was still plenty left over for two people. This set meal would be more than enough for three people; even four girls with small appetites could finish it. Taste: Delicious! Incredibly fragrant and flavorful, perfectly stewed and infused with flavor. The glass noodles and hazel mushrooms were absolutely amazing! Highly recommended!!! 3. Jonah Seaweed Rolls. We had them twice in Yanji. The crab flavor was so delicious, I loved it! Those who love salad dressing will definitely love it! Perfect for buying in advance and taking with you to eat while exploring the North/West Slope! 4. Local Specialties. We mainly bought some dried Changbai Mountain blueberries. It's best to buy wild ones! Non-wild ones are a bit too sweet; wild ones have more tartness and taste better. Besides that, you can also buy Changbai Mountain ginseng and local agricultural products. I think they were cheaper than in Yanji, but we didn't buy any ginseng since we don't know much about it. Okay, that concludes the food and accommodation section. The next part, the travel section, is currently being written. Interested readers can visit my homepage to await updates!