[Trip Review] Exploring North East China: Harbin, Yanji, Changbaishan

Exploring a region during off-peak has its benefits! Let me take you across North East China to Harbin, Yanji and Changbaishan

LATESTTRAVELCHINA

6/6/2026

When people think of China, most people associate it with the cities in the East or South East, think Shanghai, Guangzhou etc. Even if one is more inclined to explore more exotic places, they will head to the West or North West, visiting Chongqing, Chengdu and the Xinjiang region.

That's what I used to think, before visiting North East China during summer. I never thought to visit the North East as I'm not a fan of winter, and it is a region that I associated with winter attractions and activities (e.g. Harbin Ice and Snow World, skiing). However, after visiting, I dare say the North East may now be my favourite region in China! Let me walk you through some of the highlights of my trip.

Harbin (哈尔滨)

Many people associate Harbin with the ‘Ice and Snow World’ that is held annually from December to February. I’m here to tell you that there’s more to Harbin than just snow and ice; Harbin is a great destination to visit all year round.

In Harbin city centre, you should visit 中央大街步行街, 哈尔滨索菲亚广场, 松花江滨洲铁路桥.

中央大街步行街 is the main shopping street in Harbin, and you will find plenty of shops selling local products. There are also narrow streets branching from the main street selling various foods. If you are in Harbin, be sure to try the 哈尔滨红肠 (Harbin Sausage). You can find the sausage all over Harbin, and it is said to have originated from Lithuania.

The next spot you should visit is 哈尔滨索菲亚广场, and this is where you can find the Saint Sophia's Church. It is one of the few churches in China with an architecture inspired by the Byzantine Empire.

松花江滨洲铁路桥 is the most iconic bridge in Harbin, and the first to be built across the main river of Harbin, 松花江. It is a major tourist attraction, and the plus point is that it isn't too far from the city centre. You can easily walk from Saint Sophia's Church to 中央大街 before arriving at 松花江滨洲铁路桥.

If you've got more time to spare, and would like to venture out of the city centre, be sure to check out 侵华日军第七三一部队旧址. Unit 731, officially known as the Manchu Detachment 731, was a covert chemical and biological warfare unit that operated from Harbin, and this site was their headquarters. The unit was responsible for the deaths of two to three hundred thousand people. This site has now been converted into a museum, and contains detailed accounts of the experiments conducted.

You should not miss 哈药六版画博物馆 or otherwise known as the Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Museum. It is also known as the "North East Louvre" as it boasts stunning European architecture, as well as an extensive collection of art pieces.

Yanji (延吉）

Yanji has the highest concentration of the Korean ethnic group in China, although you can also find them across North East China, in Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning provinces. The Korean ethnic group are one of the largest minority groups in China, and their presence largely stems from waves of migration from the Korean Peninsula during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The most famous attraction of Yanji has to be 延边大学网红墙, and you will find plenty of Korean restaurants and food stalls here. This is a street that lights up at night, forming a really attractive wall of colourful lights.

Don't stop at Yanji though. Please head out to the smaller cities of Tumen (图们) and Hunchun (珲春). You can easily organise a day trip to these two smaller cities from Yanji for just about 150RMB.

At Tumen, you can head over to 图们口岸, and be just ten metres away from North Korea. That's right, for just 80RMB, you can be on a boat cruising along the narrowest river that separates China and North Korea.

You can also spot pictures of ex-North Korean leaders at a distance away. Seen them below?

Hop on to a car, and after a two hours car ride, you will arrive at Hunchun. Head straight for 珲春防川景区 where you can spot three nations at once. Yes, this is the famous 一眼望三国, an intersection where the borders of Russia, North Korea and China meet. You will have a bird's eye view of this intersection, while receiving a welcome note from your telecom company :)

If you are as lucky as me, you will also be able to spot a train moving from Russia to North Korea.

Changbaishan (长白山)

If mountains are your thing, then you can't miss Changbaishan. Well, maybe you can, because everyone here is coming for only the 长白山天池. The 天池 is a lake at the mouth of the Changbaishan volcano, and the 天池 is equally known for its views as well as being part of the border with North Korea. There are three slopes that you can take to view the 天池, and no, you can't actually hike up the mountain. You only have to take a transport and walk some stairs to get to the 天池.

There's the North, South and West slopes. The South slope is essentially open only during summer, while the North and West are open all year round, subject to weather conditions. I went to the North slope, which involves less stairs, but with an inferior view of the lake.

The West slope is known for having the best views of the lake, and is also home to many ski resorts. I will be sure to visit the West slope when I'm here next time during winter.

Don't you think the views from the North slope are pretty decent as well? There are more attractions on the North slope, but you can skip most of them. Just head for the lake!

Conclusion

As you can see, there's a huge variety of things to do and see in North East China, even during summer! The best part is that it is much cheaper to visit all of these places during summer; you save substantially on accommodation costs, as well as transport costs. I've not even covered all of the things to do and eat, for example, if you happen to be in Jilin (吉林), be sure to dine at 新兴园饺子馆 or 原始烤肉.

So don't sleep on North East China, and make sure to consider it if you are planning your next trip!

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[Trip Review] Exploring North East China: Harbin, Yanji, Changbaishan

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