Jingyuetan is located in the southeast of Changchun City, Jilin Province, China, 18 kilometers away from the People's Square in the city center. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction, a national key scenic spot, a national forest park, a national demonstration site of civilized scenic spots, a national water conservancy scenic spot, and a national fitness outdoor activity base. The scenic area covers an area of 96.38 square kilometers, with a water area of 5.3 square kilometers and a forest coverage rate of 96%. There are 119 mountains of various sizes, with altitudes ranging from 220 meters to 406.5 meters. Jingyuetan integrates wetland lakes and forest parks, and is known as "Asia's largest artificial forest sea", "Pearl of the Green Sea" and "Urban Oxygen Bar".
Historical Culture
Jingyuetan was built by the Japanese invaders in the early 1930s. At that time, it was to solve the water shortage problem in Changchun's "Manchurian Railway Concession". It was planned to intercept the Yitong River as the main water source and build a "reservoir" using the natural terrain. The project started at the end of 1933, was completed on November 21, 1935, and officially supplied water to Nanling Waterworks in January 1936.
There are two sayings about the origin of its name. One is that Zheng Yu, then director of the "Manchukuo" Capital Construction Bureau, named it "Jingyuetan" according to "One is the moon in the water, the other is the flower in the mirror" in "Dream of the Red Chamber", but it was miswritten as "Jingyuetan" by the Japanese translator and has been used ever since. Another saying is that it is said that when the Queen Mother sent gods to recall the Seven Fairies, a tear of the Seven Fairies fell in Changchun and became Jingyuetan, which became a sister lake with Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan.
In 1948, Jingyuetan Forest Farm was taken over by the Northeast Administrative Commission. At that time, it was called Changchun Jingyuetan Agriculture and Forestry Experimental Field, positioned as a landscape health forest and not open to the public. After the completion of Xinlicheng Reservoir in 1958, Jingyuetan became a backup water source for Changchun. In 1985, Changchun Jingyue Scenic Area Tourism General Company was established, marking the beginning of formal operation of Jingyuetan's tourism industry.
Main Attractions
Goddess Square
Located in the southwest of the scenic area's gate, it is the main venue for large-scale activities in the scenic area. The Jingyue Goddess in the center of the square is a landmark welcome landscape, carved by Mr. Ye Yushan and completed on August 7, 2012. The height of the Jingyue Goddess is 8.2 meters, the diameter of the moon is about 6 meters, and the height of the base is 2.28 meters.
North Putuo Temple
Located south of Goddess Square, it covers an area of about 9,200 square meters. As of 2006, the mountain gate, Mahavira Hall and Scripture Storage Building have been built. The Mahavira Hall covers an area of about 700 square meters, is 15 meters high, and can accommodate more than 1,000 people for religious ceremonies.
Lotus and Weeping Willow Garden
Located south of North Putuo Temple and north of the reservoir dam, it was built in 2004, covering an area of about 0.3 square kilometers. It consists of 5 lakes and 10 bridges, with two small cruise ship piers built.
Reservoir Dam
Located south of the Lotus and Weeping Willow Garden, the dam has a total length of 555 meters and a height of 19 meters. There is a water release tower in the west of the dam, with a height of 19.5 meters and an internal diameter of 3.3 meters. The east of the dam is a pier for tourists to take boats.
Forest Bath
Located south of the reservoir dam, it is the core attraction of Jingyuetan. It was built in 1955 and opened to the public in 1999. There are 40,000 square meters of Scotch pine forests planted here, with 3,000 to 5,000 negative ions per cubic centimeter of air.
Vasa Museum
Located east of the Forest Bath, it is a museum mainly in the style of Nordic Swedish classical architecture. In front of the museum, there is a champion stone recording the names of the champions of the Jingyuetan Vasa International Ski Festival. The museum displays the evolution of snowboards over the years and has many collections.
Wetland Park
Located east of the Vasa Museum, it covers an area of about 1 square kilometer.
Food
Iron Pot Stew
A characteristic food of Northeast China, a large pot is filled with ingredients such as chicken, pork ribs, beans, and corn, stewed until tender and flavorful. Corn cakes can also be pasted on the edge of the pot. Restaurants like "Zan Tunzi Iron Pot Stew" and "Wanli Chuangguan Dong Iron Pot Stew" are very popular.
Changchun Barbecue
It has unique sauces and roasting methods. Lamb skewers, roasted chicken wings, roasted eggplants, etc., are all delicious.
Huibaozhen Dumplings
Hui-style dumplings with thin skins and large fillings, delicious soup, and a variety of types.
Xueyi Dou Sha (Snowy Bean Paste)
A characteristic dessert, mainly made of red beans, eggs, and sugar, with a round shape and white color. It is sprinkled with sugar before eating, sweet and delicious.
Tickets
The ticket price is 30 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "净月潭" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
It is open from 05:00 to 20:00 in summer and from 06:00 to 19:00 in winter.
Tour Routes
- Parent-child Half-day Tour: Enter from the main gate, walk along the East Ring Lake → Goddess Square → Children's Fun Camp → Float Square → Forest Adventure Park → Main Gate.
- Parent-child One-day Tour: Enter from the main gate, take a bus along the West Ring Lake → Starry Sky Cable Car, Time Slide → Vasa Museum → Snow World → Children's Fun Camp → Main Gate; or enter from the main gate, take a bus along the West Ring Lake → Black Pine Forest → Vasa Museum → Wetland Bamboo Raft → Forest Adventure Park → Float Square → Main Gate.
- Scenic Area Tour by Boat: Enter from the west gate, take a boat tour, which can directly reach the ski resort pier and the dam pier.
- Market Tour Route: Enter from the main gate, take a bus along the West Ring Lake → Forest Bath → Mushroom Square → Float Square → Goddess Square → Main Gate.
- Relaxing Route: Enter from the west gate of the scenic area, take a boat to the ski resort pier → hike to the Vasa Museum Campsite → Golf Driving Range → Wetland Bamboo Raft → walk to the west gate.
Transportation
- Bus: You can take buses such as No. 102, No. 120, and No. 160 to Jingyuetan Station.
- Light Rail: Take Light Rail Line 3 and get off at Jingyuetan Park Station.
Must-visit Attractions
- Goddess Square: The location of Jingyuetan's landmark landscape, where you can admire the Jingyue Goddess sculpture, making it a good place for taking photos.
- Reservoir Dam: The dam has a spectacular view. The water release tower in the west is one of the earliest buildings in the scenic area. You can take a boat tour in the east, and you can also see the blue pavilion, the filming location of "A Lifelong Journey".
- Forest Bath: The core attraction of Jingyuetan, with fresh air containing 3,000 to 5,000 negative ions per cubic centimeter, suitable for walking and relaxing.
- Vasa Museum: With Swedish classical architectural style, you can learn about the history of Vasa cross-country skiing and appreciate the evolution of snowboards over the years and various collections.
Travel Suggestions
- The scenic area is large, so it is recommended to arrange time reasonably. If you want to visit comprehensively, you can choose a whole day.
- When going in summer, take sun protection measures. There are many mosquitoes in the forest, so you can bring mosquito repellent products.
- Tourists who like hiking can choose to walk in some areas, but pay attention to wearing comfortable shoes.
- You can pay attention to the official information of the scenic area to know if there are activities such as the Jingyuetan Vasa International Ski Festival, so as to better plan your trip.
Precautions
- Abide by the rules and regulations of the scenic area, and do not arbitrarily damage the environment and facilities.
- Smoking is prohibited in forest areas to prevent fires.
- When taking sightseeing buses or cruise ships, follow the instructions of the staff and pay attention to safety.
- Tourists with children should take good care of them to avoid loss or accidents.