Enjoy enchanting color on Tianchi - Changbaishan Mountain in China

Tianchi on Changbaishan is the mysterious dreamlike place from ancient time, someone are addicted into her pure and enchanting colors, someone are obsessed the monster in legend and someone come here to explore the history and their roots. Unluckily, it is said only 20% chance to see the Tianchi which is an alpine lake sitting at the crater. Owing to the reasons of climate, environment, season and elements, it always hides itself in the white snow, smog and auspicious clouds. In this September, I started tour to seek my dream to see the Tianchi.

Luckily, I caught up a fine day, the blue sky almost with no cloud. Even like this, the local people told me I only have chance of 70% to see the Tianchi. From the door of spot we took the bus driving in mountain in half an hour, seemed the driver should driver to the foot of mountain even he closes his eyes. The altitude of Changbaishan Mountain is very high, the plants in scenic spots reveal to different characteristic of seasons following the latitude, from the broad-leaved forest at foot of mountain, coniferous forest in half mountain to the moss lichen on the top.
The light shade in virgin always let people obsessed in it, how I wished I could record every moment by camera. The forest is the birthplace for fairy tales, the tales about prince and princess often happen in wooden cabins. Many trees in spot had passed through hundred years, and because of the cold climate, the growing period of trees in one year is less half a year. Although they are very tall but not brawny as I thought before. The thick barks accumulate in forest, it is very comfortable when stepping on.

Most leaves turn to yellow, start their metabolism of lives in cycles. Although it is not red in every leaf, pieces of dazzling color let me pleasantly surprise. I thought it must be very beautiful during the holiday of National Day. But I caught up the season for harvest, and the plenteous fruits take the place of flowers. The bus in spot stopped at the foot of mountain, and the left 1,236 steps only depend on myself. If someone has trouble with walking, the Chinese sedan is good choice. On the way, I came across some inconvenient old men who were stumble to climb these steps by themselves, which was impressive.
Looking around, the road likes a jade belt shuttling in the mountains. It is reasonable to not allow the self-driving cars enter, because less drivers able to safely drive in mountain. There is no tall tree on top, only left the most tenacious lower plants, and the autumn wind paints to the group of mountains. 1,236-step is a neither too big nor too little challenge for most people. Short rested in such pure land and replenished energy maybe is the tidemark of picnic. Changbaishan Tianchi is an active volcano, the climate and soil texture let almost no plant exist in this land, and the black lave, brown soil and green lichen plants consist of the main colors.
All these trudges are for her - Tianchi which is the mysterious water in legend. After the 1,236 steps, a pool of blue water in front of sight is enough to let me amaze about it, suddenly, I realized all effects are worthy. Before this trip, I always doubted the truth about the piece of blue, but it was the feeling when I saw this Tianchi, natural, pure, peaceful and eternal, it is the dream I was seeking.

The water of Tianchi peacefully laid in the hug of volcano, which is the highest volcanic lake. No boat in lake, the deepest place in this lake is 300 meters, so the surface of lake is gem blue when the sun is shining brightly. Ylujiang River, Songhuajiang River and Tumenjiang River all originate from it, so Tianchi is also known as the Source of Three River. All people use the cameras to record the view which let them immersed in, and there is no doubt it is one of the most beautiful memories in life during my tour. Pure and mysterious world, finally I found the Shangri-La appears in my dream.
I climbed on the western slope of Changbaishan Mountain, it is the border of China and North Korea. What made me surprise is the boundary tablet just sits close to the trestle road and the warning sign. In fact, the activity space of China is very narrow and small, and most visitors maybe spent their time at the side of North Korea. Two countries possibly reach the tacit understanding, a piece of rope extends into the territory of North Korea tens of meters, visitors have chance to swing with the scope. But many people have no ability to resist the temptation of beautiful view to keep on moving, of course they are dissuaded by the managers. There is no activity in territory of North Korea, and I also stood on the land of North Korea, it was the first time to go abroad need no visa.

The massif seemed to be split by knife and carved by axe, is almost barren in this season. I tried to find some grass as the foreground for photograph, but nothing. In spring, the crater will be covered by various kinds of flowers, and it is said it is the most beautiful season in Tianchi, and many photography works all show the beautiful Tianchi in spring. But the time in spring is hard to see Tianchi itself, I thought it is may not be to have it all. However, the Tianchi in my eyes had let me satisfy very much.
Got down of the mountain, I realized the Tianchi was the destination for my Changbaishan trip, but the whole process was the most valuable. Besides, please do not take away the lava on land and not tread the plants out of visiting area, only the careful protection lets this dreamlike land shining forever.

China Changbaishan Mountain Tour to Explore Mysterious Volcanic Valley

During the tour, walking into the inner heart of Changbaishan Mountain, we surprisingly found it is a piece of virgin forest the human civilization never set foot in, as if the woodcut pictures absolutely beautiful scenery, the nature once again demonstrates its magical power.

We had not yet aftertaste from the beautiful Tianchi view, the gorge and forest in depth of Changbaishan Mountain started to tempt us. Entering into the best preserved virgin forest area in Chinese ecosystem, we were shocked by the abundant and gorgeous inner world of Changbaishan Mountain, it has the most abundant wildlife resources in the northern half of the Eurasian continent, and the strange landforms created by volcanic activity is more impressive.
The valley lava forest is located at 20 kilometers west Tianchi, got off and went to the depth of jungle along the cliff. The virgin forest here is a typical representative of the northeast of the highest mountains and the northern half of Eurasia mountain ecosystems.

Arrived at the edge of valley, suddenly in front of nature draws a magical and grand valley windrow, almost 300 meters in width, as if the fairy dragon in clouds, difficult to see both. We cannot help to think of the recent aerial Reunion Island, topography is so steep. Looking down, cliffs on both sides, forming a slope valley in seventy to eighty degrees. Mountains below reveals the real skin, top is a red-ocher or brown steep slope formed by volcanic ash, following is the grey or green forest formed by slag.

Discovery of the ‘Grand Canyon’. A team of investigation in Changbaishan Mountain to investigate the damage degree of forest after an attack of wind in three days, they occasionally discovered this little-known Grand Canyon which was latterly named Changbaishan Grand Canyon or Jinjiang Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon is more than 70 kilometers in length and 160 meters in depth. Such a large area of lava forests is not only in the country for the first time found that is rare in the world. Along the way, the lava centrums in tens of meters are in different poses and with different expressions. Some are independent, some are groups side by side, and especially the shape of a camel peaks, lifelike. These lava forest like a stone and as a soil, it seems hard, will be able to win a hand breaking, and seemingly soft stand stormy wind and rain but they are constantly changing hundreds of years, year after year. Perhaps a period time later, each sculpture more or less something happens, the nature is also hardly working!

Someone say the Grand Canyon is the Grand Canyon Colorado in China, but I thought it is necessary to relate to the foreign things. Compared, the ‘natural volcanic lava bonsai garden’ is also very appreciate. Because of the short time tour, canyon is still a mystery full of unknown and expectation.