Changchun (长春市)
The capital of Jilin province is of little interest to travellers and serves mainly as a transit point. The city is an important car-manufacturing center and sometimes referred to as the 'Detroit of China'.
During the Japanese occupation of northeast China from 1932 to 1945, Changchun was named Xīnjīng (新京), but it was also referred to as Hsinking by the Kwantung Army, as it became the capital of the Imperial Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. It became the provincial capital of Jilin in 1954.
- Jingyuetan National Forest Park is located 18 km to the southeast of Changchun. The cross-country skiing competition of Vasaloppet China is held in the park annually. The competition was named after the town of Vasaloppet in Sweden.
- Another nice park is Nanhu Park (南湖公园).
- Water Culture Ecological Park (水文化生态园, Water Culture Ecological Park).
- Jilin Provincial Museum (吉林省博物院) was originally established in Jilin in 1952, but when Changchun was made the provincial capital, it was moved to the old town of Changchun. In 2016, a new building was completed in Yǒngshùn lù (永顺路, Yongshun Road), not far from Jingyuetan National Forest Park on the outskirts of town. The collection includes items from the Goguryeo and Balhae kingdoms, as well as the Khitan Liao and Jurchen dynasties.
- Badabu is a collection of buildings that house various ministries. The buildings have a unique architecture that combines Chinese, Japanese and Manchurian styles.
Changchun offers a variety of accommodation. There are many restaurants in town. Changchun is 840 km northeast of Beijing.
; "Image 1 - Changchun ©Li Zheyu [82kB]")
; "Image 2 - Changchun ©Shinzan Murray [153kB]")
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; "Image 5 - Jilin University ©Quan Jing [143kB]")
; "Image 6 - Changchun ©Andrew Johnston [72kB]")
; "Image 7 - Changchun ©Xiquinho Silva [178kB]")
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; "Image 9 - Nanhu Park ©Sicheng Liu [185kB]")
; "Image 10 - Changchun ©Andreas Felske [245kB]")
; "Image 11 - Weixing Road ©Andreas Felske [139kB]")
; "Image 12 - Water Culture Ecological Park ©Shinzan Murray
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