Get to know Jilin
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- Administrative area
- Prefecture-level city · 地级市
- Part of
- Jilin
- Chinese name
- 吉林市
- Local areas
- 9 local areas
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 27,166.37 km²
- Population · 2020 census
- 3,623,713
- Administrative seat
- Chuanying District
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Jilin City is also known as the River City because of the Songhua River surrounding much of the city. In 2007, it co-hosted the Asian Winter Games.
Tourism
Jilin City is a popular destination for tourists to come each winter to view the magnificent rime ice on trees along the banks of the Songhua River, the only river in the region that does not freeze in winter. The rime ice is a natural phenomenon that occurs every year during January and February. It is a result of water vapor rising from the warm Songhua River to meet the cold -20 °C night air, causing the crystallisation of water vapour on willow branches.
Attractions: Meteorite Museum (largest stony meteorite of a documented meteorite fall) North Hill (Beishan in Chinese) Park (north-west of Jilin) Dragon Pool Mountain Park Songhua Lake (south-east of Jilin) Wulajie (; formerly also transcribed as Wulakai) Old City, a Qing dynasty walled town in Longtan District, on the east bank of the Sungari River downstream from Jilin's main urban area. The place was the center for the collection of local products to the imperial court during the Qing dynasty. In 1682, when, according to Ferdinand Verbiest, Wulajie (Ula) was "the most illustrious city of the whole province"—the Kangxi Emperor himself visited the place to enjoy sturgeon fishing. These days, a public school nearby is one of the few schools in the country where some Manchu is taught.
Explore Jilin
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Jilin city 吉林市
Songhua Lake 松花湖
Beidahu Ski Resort 北大湖滑雪场
Beishan Park (Jilin) 北山公园
Jilin Confucius Temple 吉林文庙
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Jilin 吉林天主教堂
Jilin City Manchu Museum 吉林市满族博物馆
Jilin City Museum 吉林市博物馆
Jilin Navy Barracks Museum 吉林水师营博物馆
Xuandi Temple 吉林玄帝观
Longtan Mountain Park 龙潭山公园
Zhuque Mountain National Forest Park 朱雀山国家森林公园
Vanke Songhua Lake Ski Resort 万科松花湖滑雪度假区
Beidahu Ski Resort 北大湖滑雪度假区
Lafa Mountain 拉法山
Hongye Valley in Jiaohe 红叶谷
Wusong Island 雾凇岛
Changyi District 昌邑区
Longtan District 龙潭区
Chuanying District 船营区
Fengman District 丰满区
Yongji County 永吉县
Jiaohe 蛟河市
Huadian 桦甸市
Shulan 舒兰市
Panshi 磐石市
Places to explore around Jilin
Jilin city viewed from Longshan Guancheng · 吉林龙山观城 Photograph date recorded by the source: 30 April 2026, 09:59:50.Jilin city吉林市
Jilin City follows a bend of the Songhua River, with riverside buildings, low wooded hills and a strong history of boatbuilding. Its city museum adds an unexpected natural-history focus: the large Jilin meteorite and the story…
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Songhua Lake's indented shoreline and wooded hills, on a lake trip toward Five Tigers Island; 10 July 2019.Songhua Lake松花湖
Songhua Lake is the reservoir formed behind Fengman Dam, spreading through a long, irregular valley southeast of Jilin City. The changing shorelines, wooded hills and islands are best understood from a selected lake route rather…
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Beidahu Ski Resort (北大湖滑雪场), Jilin city. Photograph: "洪峰山遥望南楼山 大漠 - panoramio".Beidahu Ski Resort北大湖滑雪场
Beidahu is a mountain ski resort outside Jilin City, with lift-served runs and beginner terrain rather than a single small ski hill. Its international ski school and equipment-rental facilities support visitors who need…
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The main entrance to Beishan Scenic Area in Jilin City, February 2019.Beishan Park (Jilin)北山公园
Beishan combines a pair of low hills and lakes with a long-established group of temples. Guandi Temple and Yaowang Temple reflect different devotional traditions, while the larger Yuhuang Pavilion sits higher in the complex…
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Dacheng Hall at Jilin Confucius Temple, Jilin City; 30 April 2026.Jilin Confucius Temple吉林文庙
Jilin's Confucius Temple moved to its present site in 1909, creating a broad ceremonial complex whose main axis remains easy to follow. The Panchi pool and Zhuangyuan Bridge lead through ritual gates towards the eleven-bay…
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Sacred Heart Cathedral in Jilin City, viewed from the street; 26 August 2007.Sacred Heart Cathedral, Jilin吉林天主教堂
Jilin's Sacred Heart church stands near the north end of Jilin Bridge, bringing a Gothic silhouette to the Songhua riverfront. Completed in 1926, the brick-and-stone building combines a tall bell tower with a roughly cruciform…
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Jilin City Manchu Museum · 吉林市满族博物馆Jilin City Manchu Museum吉林市满族博物馆
Jilin City's Manchu Museum brings local cultural history into the former Wang Baichuan residence and an expanded museum setting. The old domestic architecture provides a physical context for the displays, while the new…
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The large Jilin meteorite displayed in Jilin City Museum. Photograph date recorded by the source: 2025-12-08 11:42:27.Jilin City Museum吉林市博物馆
Jilin City Museum's most recognisable object is the Jilin No. 1 stone meteorite, recovered after the 1976 meteorite shower. The surrounding exhibition explains the fall and its investigation, giving the large object a scientific…
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Jilin Navy Barracks Museum · 吉林水师营博物馆Jilin Navy Barracks Museum吉林水师营博物馆
The Jilin Navy Barracks Museum explains why boatbuilding and river forces became central to the city's identity. Its displays follow the rise of the Qing naval establishment, the building of Jilin city and the emperors'…
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Xuandi Temple forecourt and halls, Jilin · 吉林玄帝观广场与殿宇 Photograph date recorded by the source: 30 April 2026, 18:42:00.Xuandi Temple吉林玄帝观
Xuandi Temple occupies Xuantian Ridge on the northern side of Jilin City's old centre. Its worship of Zhenwu developed in association with hopes of protection from the fires that troubled the historical town. The present complex…
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Dragon-shaped night lighting on Longtan Mountain, reflected in the river. Photograph date recorded by the source: 2026-04-30 19:57:37.Longtan Mountain Park龙潭山公园
Longtan Mountain preserves traces of a fortified hill settlement within a wooded park east of the Songhua. Its so-called water prison is understood as a storage reservoir, while the dry prison is interpreted as a storage pit…
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The stone memorial archway at the entrance to Zhuque Mountain National Forest Park, Jilin City · 吉林市朱雀山国家森林公园入口石牌坊 Source-recorded photograph date: 2019-06-08 13:38:07.Zhuque Mountain National Forest Park朱雀山国家森林公园
Zhuque Mountain's forested slopes south of Jilin City contain distinctive rock formations and a mix of recreational and religious sites. Shenzhu Stone and Shenying Stone give the rocky landscape recognisable focal points, while…
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Vanke Songhua Lake Ski Resort · 万科松花湖滑雪度假区Vanke Songhua Lake Ski Resort万科松花湖滑雪度假区
Songhua Lake Ski Resort in Jilin City combines mountain skiing with scenic cable cars and wooded slopes used for summer and autumn outings.
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AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）Beidahu Ski Resort北大湖滑雪度假区
Beidahu is a mountain ski resort in Yongji County, where slopes in the Changbai foothills are enclosed by hills on three sides.
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Distant winter view of Lafa Mountain from the Dunhua-Jilin expressway, Jiaohe · 敦化至吉林高速冬景，远眺蛟河拉法山 Source-recorded photograph date: Taken on 1 March 2009.Lafa Mountain拉法山
Lafa Mountain rises near Jiaohe as a distinctive, comparatively isolated mountain with a conical profile.
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Autumn foliage on the forest floor at Hongye Valley ("Red Leaf Valley"), Jiaohe · 蛟河红叶谷，秋日红叶铺满林间地面 Source-recorded photograph date: Taken on 6 October 2009.Hongye Valley in Jiaohe红叶谷
Hongye Valley is a forested valley around Jiefang Village in Qingling Town, Jiaohe.
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AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）Wusong Island雾凇岛
Wusong Island lies on the Songhua River near Wulajie Manchu Town in Jilin City’s Longtan District.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Jilin local specialties
吉林市特色美食 · 10 specialties to discover
Jilin pan-fried starch jelly 吉林煎粉AI illustration · AI 示意图
Browned edges give way to slippery, springy jelly; sesame adds nuttiness, with garlic and vinegar often providing sharper notes.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Jilin Manchu eight-bowl feast 吉林满族八大碗AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
Expect a range from rich meat gravies to softer vegetable dishes. The feast rewards sharing more than ordering it as a single-diner main course.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Wula Manchu Hotpot 乌拉满族火锅Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Wula Manchu Hotpot (乌拉满族火锅) is the Manchu-style hotpot of Jilin City (吉林市), cooked over charcoal in a copper pot.
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Qingling braised fish 庆岭活鱼AI illustration · AI 示意图
Tender fish flesh absorbs the seasoning, while the skin and head offer different textures. A sauce-rich version works particularly well with plain rice.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Boiled Pork with Blood Sausage 白肉血肠
Boiled Pork with Blood Sausage (白肉血肠) combines thin slices of plain pork with blood sausage, a dish rooted in the food customs of the Manchu (满族).
Source ↗Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
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Deer Antler Three-Treasure Soup 鹿茸三珍汤AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Deer Antler Three-Treasure Soup (鹿茸三珍汤) is a tonic soup from Jilin (吉林) city made from three parts of the sika deer (梅花鹿) of Changbai Mountain (长白山): the antler velvet, the tendons and the pizzle.
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Songhua Lake Fish Banquet 松花湖鱼宴AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Songhua Lake Fish Banquet (松花湖鱼宴) is a multi-dish meal made from the freshwater fish of Songhua Lake (松花湖) in Jilin city (吉林市), Jilin province.
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Sticky Bean Buns 粘豆包
Sticky Bean Buns (粘豆包) are part of the Manchu food traditions of Jilin City (吉林市). In Wulajie (乌拉街), they feature at the market before Chinese New Year, where families buy them for home and as gifts.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
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All dish names · 全部菜名 (10)
- Jilin pan-fried starch jelly · 吉林煎粉
- Jilin Manchu eight-bowl feast · 吉林满族八大碗
- Wula Manchu Hotpot · 乌拉满族火锅
- Qingling braised fish · 庆岭活鱼
- Boiled Pork with Blood Sausage · 白肉血肠
- Deer Antler Three-Treasure Soup · 鹿茸三珍汤
- Songhua Lake Fish Banquet · 松花湖鱼宴
- Sticky Bean Buns · 粘豆包
- Pork Belly Stewed with Pickled Cabbage · 酸菜炖白肉
- Guobaorou sweet-and-sour pork · 锅包肉
More dishes from across Jilin are in the Jilin food guide.
Counties & districts in Jilin
9 areas belong directly to Jilin.
9 areas
Changyi District 昌邑区
Changyi District (simplified Chinese: 昌邑区; traditional Chinese: 昌邑區; pinyin: Chāngyì Qū) is a district of Jilin City, Jilin, China.
Explore the area →DistrictLongtan District 龙潭区
Longtan District (simplified Chinese: 龙潭区; traditional Chinese: 龍潭區; pinyin: Lóngtán Qū) is a district of Jilin City, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
Explore the area →DistrictChuanying District 船营区
Chuanying District (simplified Chinese: 船营区; traditional Chinese: 船營區; pinyin: Chuányíng Qū) is a district of Jilin City, Jilin, China.
Explore the area →DistrictFengman District 丰满区
Fengman District (simplified Chinese: 丰满区; traditional Chinese: 豐滿區; pinyin: Fēngmǎn Qū) is a district of Jilin City, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
Explore the area →Show fewer areas
Yongji County 永吉县
Yongji is a county of central Jilin province, China, located just 18 km (11 mi) outside of Jilin City. It is under the administration of Jilin City, with a population of 400,000 residing in an area of 2,625…
Explore the area →County-level cityJiaohe 蛟河市
Jiaohe is a middle-sized county-level city in east-central Jilin province, People's Republic of China, bordering Heilongjiang to the northeast.
Explore the area →County-level cityHuadian 桦甸市
Huadian (simplified Chinese: 桦甸; traditional Chinese: 樺甸; pinyin: Huàdiàn) is a city in south-central Jilin province, People's Republic of China.
Explore the area →County-level cityShulan 舒兰市
Shulan (simplified Chinese: 舒兰; traditional Chinese: 舒蘭; pinyin: Shūlán) is a county-level city in northern Jilin province, Northeast China.
Explore the area →County-level cityPanshi 磐石市
Panshi is a city of south-central Jilin province of Northeast China. It is under the administration of Jilin City.
Explore the area →No areas match this name.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Search for 吉林市 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Jilin city and Songhua Lake are about 45 km apart in a straight line. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Jilin →More in Jilin
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Background text adapted from Jilin City — Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text has been shortened and reorganized; source revision 1369881751.
Photo: Jilin city · H2v5o68z · CC0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Songhua Lake · Francesc Fort · CC BY-SA 4.0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Photo: Beidahu Ski Resort · 大漠1208 · CC BY 3.0. Full frame retained; EXIF orientation normalized, proportionally resized to at most 800 pixels and converted to WebP. No generated pixels or subject changes. Cards may crop the display.
Photo: Beishan Park (Jilin) · BoyuZhang1998 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
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Photo: Jilin Confucius Temple · H2v5o68z · CC0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Photo: Sacred Heart Cathedral, Jilin · gongfu_king · CC BY-SA 2.0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Photo: Jilin City Manchu Museum · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Jilin City Museum · JacobLyu · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Jilin Navy Barracks Museum · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
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Photo: Longtan Mountain Park · H2v5o68z · CC0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Zhuque Mountain National Forest Park · Air7538 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Vanke Songhua Lake Ski Resort · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Lafa Mountain · 迟鹏 · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Hongye Valley in Jiaohe · George Wenn · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
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