Jilin is a province in northeast China bordering North Korea and Russia, known for Changbai Mountain and its Heaven Lake crater, Changchun's Manchukuo-era palace and film heritage, Jilin City's winter rime ice, and the Korean-Chinese culture of Yanbian. The Tumen and Yalu rivers form its southern frontier, and Goguryeo tombs at Ji'an are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Winters are long and cold, with excellent skiing.
Jilin is where Goguryeo and Bohai kings built capitals, the Manchus and Qing ran river forts, and Japan made Changchun the capital of Manchukuo. UNESCO-listed Goguryeo tombs at Ji'an, the Puppet Emperor's Palace and the Songhua River region make it a compact history destination in northeast China.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Jilin.
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1
Goguryeo Founded
Zhumo (Jumong) founds Goguryeo in the Hun River and Yalu region, the origin of the Jilin Goguryeo sites
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2
Capital Moves to Gonnei City
Goguryeo moves its capital to Gonnei City (Guonei) at Ji'an, with Wandu Mountain City as its fortress
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3
Hotaiwang Stele Erected
King Jangsu raises the stele at Ji'an in honour of his father Gwanggaeto
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4
Capital Moves to Pyongyang
Goguryeo moves its main capital south, leaving Ji'an as a secondary centre
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5
Bohai Kingdom Founded
Dae Joyoung founds the Bohai kingdom with its early base around Dunhua in Jilin
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6
Manchukuo Established
Japan declares the puppet state of Manchukuo with Changchun renamed Xinjing as capital
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7
Puyi Enthroned
Puyi becomes Emperor Kangde of Manchukuo and lives in the palace at Changchun
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8
Manchukuo Ends
Soviet forces enter Changchun in August 1945 and the puppet state collapses
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9
FAW Begins Construction
China's first automobile works breaks ground in Changchun, shaping its industrial identity
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10
Koguryo UNESCO Listing
Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom are inscribed, including the Ji'an sites
Historical eras
The chapters of Jilin's past.
Goguryeo
The Goguryeo kingdom ruled southeastern Jilin from Gonnei City and Wandu Mountain City, leaving UNESCO tombs and stelae in Ji'an.
Bohai Kingdom
Dae Joyoung's Bohai state held eastern Jilin, with early centres around Dunhua and tombs at Liuding Mountain.
Liao, Jin and Qing
Khitan, Jurchen and Manchu rulers governed the Songhua River valley; the Qing built Jilin City as a military and shipbuilding outpost.
Manchukuo
Japan made Changchun the capital of the puppet state, leaving the palace, ministries and wide boulevards.
Socialist Industry
Changchun became a car and film-making base with the FAW plant and Changchun Film Studio.
Reform Era
Ice-and-snow tourism, border trade at Hunchun and Changbai Mountain tourism drove modern development.
Historical sites
Places where Jilin's past comes alive.
Gonnei City Site (国内城遗址)
Plains capital of the Goguryeo kingdom, with stone wall sections still standing within Ji'an town; a component of the UNESCO Goguryeo property.
Where: Ji'an
Admission: Free to view the walls
Wandu Mountain City (丸都山城)
Mountain fortress north of Ji'an, the military companion to Gonnei City, with gate sites, wall sections and a palace foundation.
Where: Ji'an
Admission: Included in the Ji'an heritage ticket approx CNY 60 (approx USD 9)
Hotaiwang Stele (好太王碑)
A 6.4 m granite stele erected in 414 AD for King Gwanggaeto, inscribed with about 1,775 characters on Goguryeo history.
Where: Ji'an
Admission: CNY 60 (approx USD 9)
Tomb of the Great King (Taiwang Tomb) (太王陵)
A stepped stone tomb attributed to Gwanggaeto or a close successor; among the largest Goguryeo burials.
Where: Ji'an
Admission: Included with the Hotaiwang Stele ticket
General's Tomb (Jiangjun Tomb) (将军坟)
A seven-tier stepped granite pyramid often linked to King Jangsu, known as the 'Pyramid of the East'.
Where: Ji'an
Admission: Included in the Ji'an heritage ticket
Puppet Emperor's Palace (伪满皇宫)
Puyi's residence as head of Japanese-controlled Manchukuo, with the Inner Court, Jixi Building and Qingyin Pavilion.
Where: Changchun
Admission: CNY 70 (approx USD 10)
Eight Great Ministries of Manchukuo (伪满八大部)
Ministry buildings of the Xinjing government quarter in the 1930s 'Imperial Crown' style, now mostly hospital and university buildings.
Where: Changchun
Admission: Free to view from outside
Longtan Mountain Fortress (龙潭山城)
A Goguryeo-era hill fortress on Longtan Mountain with surviving rammed-earth and stone wall sections and a dragon-pool well.
Where: Jilin City
Admission: Park entry free
Jilin Confucian Temple (吉林文庙)
Temple complex dedicated to Confucius, now an exhibit space on local history.
Where: Jilin City
Admission: CNY 20 (approx USD 3)
Zhenhui Princess Tomb at Liuding Mountain (六鼎山渤海古墓)
Bohai-era tomb complex of Princess Zhenhui near the early Bohai capital area of Dunhua, with a mural reproduction display.
Where: Dunhua
Admission: CNY 60 (approx USD 9)
Fangchuan Dragon-Tiger Pavilion (防川龙虎阁)
A viewing pavilion in the Fangchuan border area, near Changgufeng, a hill remembered for the 1938 Soviet-Japanese border clash.
Where: Hunchun
Admission: CNY 70 (approx USD 10)
Museums
Curated collections that tell Jilin's story.
Puppet Emperor's Palace Museum (伪满皇宫博物院)
Exhibits on Manchukuo and Puyi's life in the palace
Hours: Daily approx 8:30-17:30
Admission: CNY 70 (approx USD 10)
Ji'an Museum (集安博物馆)
Goguryeo-era tomb artefacts, bronzes and stele rubbings
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday approx 9:00-16:30
Admission: Free with passport
Jilin Meteorite Museum (吉林陨石博物馆)
Fragments of the 1976 Jilin meteorite shower, the largest recorded stony-meteorite fall
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday approx 9:00-16:30
Admission: CNY 30 (approx USD 4)
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.
Changchun Manchukuo Heritage Day
Puppet Emperor's Palace in the morning, the Eight Great Ministries on foot, then Jingyuetan or Nanhu Park in the afternoon
Ji'an Goguryeo Day
Gonnei City, Hotaiwang Stele, the Great King's Tomb and Wandu Mountain City by taxi; take a train to Ji'an from Tonghua
Jilin Rime and Songhua Lake Day
Dawn at Wusong Island or the riverbank, then Songhua Lake and Longtan Mountain