Jilin Province in China

A beautiful, but strikingly different part of the country, Jilin is located on the northeastern border of the Peoples Republic of China. Because it shares its borders with other countries, such as North Korea, Russia and Mongolia, it has long enjoyed a variety of cultural influences and interesting trade relations. The provincial capital of Jilin in China is Changchun. Other major cities in the province include Jilin City, Siping, Liaoyuan, Tonghua, Yanji and Songyuan.

If one were to survey the landscape of Jilin from a distance, they would see that the mountains in the southeast descend gently towards a lower-lying region in the northwest. Much of the area is very mountainous and Jilin is home to serval mountain ranges, namely: the Jilinhada Mountains, the Longgang Mountains, the Zhang Guangcai Mountains and the Changbai Mountains. The Changbai Mountain Range is the highest and most southeasterly of the lot. It is also home to Baiyun Peak, the region’s highest mountain, which rises to an elevation of 2691 m. Business travellers would do well to know that Jilin has a continental monsoon climate with short, warm summers and long, cold winters and plenty of rainfall during the rainy months. You should definitely pack accordingly.

Those investigating the trade in Jilin will discover that the economy is largely based on agricultural production and industry. Despite the fact that its economy is not as varied as that of other provinces, Jilin certainly does well for itself. Its nominal GDP for 2004 was US $ 36.69 billion – enough to make Jilin rank 20th in the country. Its agricultural production is centered on rice, sorghum and maize, but lumber production and sheep farming are also fairly large agricultural activities. Industry is centered on the production of automobiles, train carriages and iron alloy.

When it comes to tourism, Jilin has quite a few noteworthy attractions. One of these is the Goguryeo tombs, which are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and which include Guknae Seong, Wandu and the unusual General’s Tomb with its pyramid-like shape. Other tourist attractions are Heaven Lake, Baekdu Mountain and the ancient royal tomes at Longtou Mountain. So why not give Jilin a try? You may just find that it is your favorite place to visit in China.

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