Facts
Changchun Maps
Phone Code: 0431
Postal Code: 130000
Area: 20,604 Sq km (7,955.2 Sq miles)
Population: 7,677,089 (in 2010)
Nationalities: Han, Manchu, Hui, Mongolian, Chaoxian
Neighboring Areas: Heilongjiang and Liaoning Provinces; Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Location: Located in the center of the northeast plain and Songliao Plain, Changchun is the geometric center of North-East Asia and the core of the North-East Asia Cross economic corridor.
Physical Features: Except for the small areas of low mountains and hills in the east, for the most part, Changchun is occupied by terraces. The Second Songhua River, Yinma River and Yitong River just flow through the city. Along the banks of the rivers are flat alluvial plains which comprise 50% of the total area.
History: Originally built in 2130 BC, Changchun was then the second capital city of the Sushen Kingdom who built the city wall and palace with earth and gave the name ‘Xi’, so named to commemorate Suzhen’s victory. At that time, there were as many as 1,000 households living in the city. Thereafter, the city was renamed for many times such as 'Helong City', 'Fuyu State' and 'Tiangang City', but it was remained the capital city of the state or kingdom in northeast China all this time. After the establishment of the PRC, it was made the capital city of Jilin Province.
Attractions: A crystal gem set in the Songliao Plain, Changchun is famed as 'Aotu City’, 'Film City', 'Forest City', 'Sculpture City', 'Sci-Tech and Culture City', 'Oriental Boston' and 'Oriental Detroit'. Trees shade the city streets, and even the surrounding areas are seas of green trees such as the 90 km (55.9 miles) long and 550 m (601.5 yards) wide greenbelt along the round-city expressway, the Jingyuetan Forest Park that is the largest man-made forest in Asia, as well as the Changbai Mountain. Having being the capital city in northeast China for a long period of time, Changchun also has many historical and cultural sites, including Jilin Provincial Museum, the Museum of Imperial Palace of Manchu State and Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom. Owing to its geographic location at northeast China, ice and snow in winter times are the other highlights of the city.
Transportation:
Air: Officially put into use in August, 2005, Changchun Longjia International Airport has opened 39 domestic and foreign air routes to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xiamen, Xian and some other Chinese cities, as well as international cities like Seoul, Tokyo and Novosibirsk.
Train: Located at the northernmost of People’s Street in the north of the city, Changchun Railway Station operates trains to dozens of large and medium cities in China. There are also bullet train from the station to Shenyang and Harbin. Taking a train from the station to Beijing only takes about 6 hours.
Bus: At present, Changchun-Siping, Changchun-Jilin and Changchun-Yingchengzi expressways have been opened. Of them, Changchun-Siping Expressway is connected with Liaoning Expressway, through which passengers can be taken directly to Shenyang, Dalian and Beijing. There are two major bus stations. One is Huanghe Road Bus Station near to the railway station that operates long-distance buses to the cities and areas outside Jilin Province, and the other is Weixing Road Bus Station that operates buses to the towns, counties and cities within Jilin. The city has a network of public buses covering all of the streets, shopping centers and public areas.
Subway: There is only one light rail system in Changchun that was built along the outlying areas such as Changchun Railway Station, Jingyu Square, Exhibition Center, Jingyuetan and Changying Century City. The ticket price is divided into CNY2, 3 and 4 based on the distance travelled.
Taxi: The total number of taxis and per capita occupancy volume of Changchun both rank the top in China. The taxi fare is CNY 5 for the first 2.5 km (1.6 miles) and additional CNY1.3 per km for the rest journey.
Weather: The best travel time to the city is winter from December to February. At that time, the city is covered by snow and ice, and visitors can either ski, skate or enjoy the ice and snow sculptures.
Dining and Shopping
Characterized by being natural, green, healthy and nutritious, food in the city is cooked with a wide range of ingredients, including the delicacies and game from Xinganling Mountain in the north and Changbai Mountain in the east, and seafood from the Bohai Sea. Well-known dishes are Changbai Banquet with Rare Products, Braised Deer's Tail, Ginseng and Chicken Cooked with Maotai Wine, Ginseng Chicken, Steamed White Fish and Zicai and White Meat Hot Pot. Popular restaurants where one can taste these dishes are Beiguo Zhichun Restaurant, Mingmen Restaurant and Xifude Restaurant. Guilin Road, Chongqing Road and Hongqi Road are the main dinning areas.
A popular Chinese saying says ‘there are three treasures in northeast China, namely, ginseng, deer antler and marten’. For ginseng and deer antler, the best shopping places are Changbai Road and Changjiang Road; for marten, Haowangjiao Fur & Leather Store near to Chongqing Road should be the best choice. Meanwhile, local handicrafts Changchun wood carvings and Dehui straw plaited article are also popular among the visitors. Popular commercial areas are Zhongqing Road, Guilin Road and Hongqi Road.