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Changchun (长春; Chángchūn; lit. Long Spring) [1] is the capital of Jilin Province and was formerly the capital of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. With a population of more than 6 million, it is one of the major cities in Northeast China (东北; Dōngběi), and is the largest center for China's automotive industry. Changchun has long, cold winters with the temperature dropping as low as -30°C, there is little snow and the air is dry, but the city is very windy.

Changchun hosted the 2007 Asian Winter Games.

[edit] Districts

Changchun has a total of 6 districts, 3 other cities and 1 county. Five of the districts are close to the city centre:　

• Chaoyang District (朝阳区)
• Nanguan District (南关区)
• Kuancheng　District (宽城区)
• Erdao District (二道区)
• Luyuan District (绿园区)

Further afield are:

• Shuangyang District (双阳区)
• West New City Development District (西部新城开发区）
• Yushu City (榆树市)
• Dehui City (德惠市)
• Jiutai City (九台市)
• Nong'an County (农安县)　

The city is home to the following special economic zones:

• Changchun Jingyuetan tourism Economic Development Zone (长春净月潭旅游经济开发区)
• Changchun High Technology Industry Development Zone (长春高新技术产业开发区)
• Changchun Technology Development Zone (长春经济技术开发区)
• Changchun Automotive Industry Development Zone (长春汽车产业开发区)
• Changjiang Lu Science and Technology Commercial Development Zone (长江路电脑科技商品开发区)

[edit] Understand

Changchun in its present form is a new city with only about 200 years of history. 　

It expanded rapidly as the junction between the Japanese-owned South Manchurian Railway and the Russian-owned Chinese Eastern Railway, which had different rail gauges and permit licenses, from 1905-1935. Changchun had railway repair shops, and branch lines originating in Changchun extended into Korea and Inner Mongolia.

In 1932, moving from Jilin City (Kirin city) 200 km to the east, Changchun became the capital of Manchukuo, a state in Manchuria led by Pu Yi with the help of Japan that existed from 1931 to 1945. Then known as Hsinking (新京; Xīnjīng), the capital was a well-planned city with broad avenues and modern public works. The city underwent rapid expansion in both its economy and infrastructure, and many historic buildings from those times are still standing today.

Severely damaged during World War 2, it was invaded by the Soviet Red Army in 1945, which looted the city of everything they could. The Russians maintained a presence in the city after the Chinese Civil War until 1956. Kuomintang forces occupied the city in 1946, but were unable to hold the countryside against Chinese Communist forces. The city fell to the communists in 1948 after a 12-month-long siege by the PLA that resulted in a massive famine with a civilian death toll of 100,000 to 300,000.

Renamed Chángchūn by the People's Republic of China government, it became the capital of Jilin Province in 1954.

You are strongly advised to learn some Mandarin before visiting Changchun, as not much English is spoken here.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Changchun Longjia International Airport (长春龙家国际机场; IATA: CGQ) has been in operation since September 2005 and is around 30 km east of Changchun's city center. It replaced a smaller military airport that had been adapted for commercial use. The airport is large and clean, and passengers can find standard amenities such as restaurants, cafes, shops, lounges, credit card acceptance, etc. For first class passengers there are two lounges available, but the standard is far below of the lounges of international airports.

Different local flight destinations are available, but the major routes throughout the day are to domestic destinations Shanghai (2:20 hours) and Beijing (1:40 hours, full price ¥960, discounted ¥280-560, first class ¥1,530). There are also some international flights to various destinations in Korea (Seoul ICN with Asiana) and Japan (Nagoya with CZ).

From the airport there are regular coach services (¥20-30 each way) available to the center (e.g. People's Square (人民广场)). The travel time is around 45 minutes. A taxi to/from the city costs around ¥80 including toll, but from the airport to the city most of the taxi drivers reject a drive if you are not willing to pay at least ¥100 (do not discuss it, do it or take the bus).

If you want Chinese currency you should obtain it at the downtown Bank of China on Xian Dalu (西安大路）or in the hotel, as the rates at the airport are not very favorable, or the office is closed.

[edit] By train

Changchun has three passenger railway stations: Changchun Railway Station (长春站), Changchun East Railway Station (长春东站) and Changchun South Railway Station (长春南站). Both the East and South stations are very small and only local trains stop there. All trains stop at Changchun Station and this is the place you need to go if you wish to travel any great distance.

Changchun Railway Station (长春站; Changchun Zhan) is situated at the north end of Renmin Avenue (人民大街). Although it is large and chaotic, providing you read Chinese and speak some Mandarin and are prepared to fight through the queues, you can buy a ticket to almost anywhere in China from here.

Thanks to the railroad-building efforts of Japanese in the early- to mid-1900s, the rail network in Northeast China is extensive and no place is very far by rail.

• Beijing - takes about 8 hours (Z61 sleeper leaving at 10:30PM)
• Dalian - takes about 10 hours
• Dandong - takes about 10 hours
• Harbin - takes about 4 hours
• Jilin - takes about 2 hours
• Shanghai - takes about 32 hours
• Shenyang - takes about 4 hours
• Tonghua - takes about 9 hours
• Xian - takes about 34 hours

Rail travel is by far the cheapest way to travel in and out of Changchun. If you do not want to go to the train station yourself, you can go to any good travel agent, who will do this on your behalf, usually for ¥10-20 extra.

[edit] By bus

There are long distance coaches that regularly go from/to Beijing available from the coach station on Huanghe Road (黄河路), just off Renmin Avenue (人民大街), very near to the train station. There is also a long distance bus station at the south end of Renmin Avenue (人民大街), take bus Z306 from the train station.

You can also catch coaches and buses from pretty much anywhere in Jilin Province, though they have a reputation for being dangerous and are slightly more expensive, though faster, than the train.

The Main Long-Distance Bus Station is at 226 Renmin Avenue.

• Beijing - takes about 8 hours
• Dalian - takes about 8 hours
• Harbin - takes about 4 hours
• Jilin - takes about 2 hours
• Shenyang - takes about 4 hours

[edit] Get around

Changchun is a very compact city planned by the Japanese with a layout of open avenues and public squares (guǎngchǎng). It is pretty easy to travel from one place to another, however, with the increase in private car ownership, traffic is getting worse by the day.

[edit] On foot

From May to October, Changchun is a decent walking city, the weather is fine and there are no hills. The city does tend to be spread out, so travelers should plan on using other forms of transportation. During the winter months temperatures are too cold to walk longer distances in Changchun, so other forms of transport should be considered.

[edit] By bicycle

Travelers should be cautious of bicycling in Changchun. For half the year it is generally too cold and during the summer months, too dangerous. Unlike most big cities in China, Changchun does not separate cycle lanes from the main traffic, which leads to buses, taxis, cars, and motorcycles sharing the same space as the cyclists. The whole situation is dangerous and this is perhaps the reason why by Chinese standards there are few people who regularly cycle here. The other problem is that because of the city's layout, there are plenty of large roundabouts where 4 or 5 busy roads converge on one another, making it extremely difficult to cycle without having to continually dismount.

If you want to bike around, it is recommended that you follow closely behind one of the local people on cargo-bike, merchant-bike, or donkey. There are off times during the day when biking would be less challenging. Drivers are not overtly aggressive towards bikers, though be warned that though Changchungers honk their horns almost constantly, in their sub-culture it obviously means something like, "Hello, don't get run over," and carries less anger and reserve than in Western countries.

[edit] By bus

Changchun has an extensive bus network and most of the buses cost ¥1. However, those who can not read Chinese will find it nearly impossible to use the network as the signage is all in Chinese characters.

Most buses go to the bus station outside the train station, and other central areas such as Guilin Road (桂林路), Chongqing Road (重庆路) and Hongqi Street (红旗街). Be aware that the buses are often extremely crowded and especially uncomfortable during the hot summers as there is no air conditioning.

Important bus numbers include:

• 362 - 6AM-8:30PM daily. From the train station to Hongqi Street (红旗街), Chongqing Road (重庆路) and Guilin Road (桂林路).

• 306 - 5:50AM-11PM daily. Busy route that goes north/south along Renmin Avenue (人民大街) from the train station to Changchun University (长春大学).

• 80 - 6AM-8PM daily. Circular route around Changchun that goes pretty much everywhere including Hongqi Street (红旗街), Chongqing Road (重庆路), Guilin Road (桂林路), the train station and the zoo.

• 240 - 6AM-7:30PM. Satellite Square (卫星广场) to Culture Square (文化广场) via Guilin Road (桂林路).

[edit] By minibus

If you are in need of an adrenaline rush, look no further than one of the minibuses that tear around the city streets. Some places out in the suburbs are only serviced by such buses, and the fare is usually ¥1-2, but the drivers seem to think that they are on a giant racetrack most of the time and you will get thrown around. Expect the front passenger to sit at the side-door, calling out to potential customers, and to be encouraged to hop on the bus while it is moving ever so slowly. If you were old, they would probably stop, or expect you to take a taxi for a little more. Very crowded at times.

[edit] By tram

Despite the city once having the most complex tram system in Northern China, there is now only one remaining route still open. The number 54 runs down Hongqi Street (红旗街) to the far west of the city (where there really is not much). Many of the trams still in use today are the original cars from 1940, so it is worth the &yuan;1 ride just for the authentic experience.

[edit] By light rail

The light rail (轻轨; qīngguǐ) currently goes from the west side of the train station (长春站) to Changying Movie Wonderland (长影世纪城). It travels past Changchun University (长春大学) approximately half-way along the route, and takes 63 minutes to complete the entire journey. A ticket, purchased at any light rail station, costs ¥1-4 each way, based on the distance traveled. Operates 6AM-9PM daily.

A new south-north route is under construction, but the completion date is not fixed yet. Currently (August 2009) the main construction is in Linhe Street, south sector. It is a good idea to avoid this section, if possible, for the moment.

[edit] By three-wheeler

There are brightly coloured three wheel plastic taxis, available from near Changchun University (长春大学), which only operate for short distances in the south of the city. If you are in the Jingyuetan (净月潭) part of town, this is the easiest mode of transport as there are few taxis operating there. They are cheaper and slower than regular taxis. There is no meter, so expect to negotiate with the driver. A typical ride should not exceed ¥3.

[edit] By motorcycle

If you need to get somewhere fast then jump on one of these. They generally hang around in the south of the city and out in the suburbs. They are unlicensed to carry fare paying passengers, so bear in mind that if there is an accident, you might find yourself in trouble. However, they tend to drive in the cycle lanes at quite low speeds and so are safer than you might expect. Expect to pay as little as ¥1 for a short trip.

[edit] By taxi

Taxi fares start at ¥5 up to 2.5 km, after that ¥1.30/.5 km. Several taxi companies are serving the city, mainly with old Jetta cars. The newest one uses Santana 3000 models, colored white/green. They are often in front of the five star hotels.

Beware: Watch out for drivers taking you in circles - in this case complain for example at the hotel drop-off point. The staff there normally will support you in such cases. For other cases simply pay not more then shown on the meter. In general: Make sure you know the name of the places you are going to in Mandarin or have a paper with the Chinese address with you. It would not hurt either to travel during the day and have one of Shangri-La's famous English maps, or even one in Chinese from that huge bookstore, Xinhua.

[edit][add listing] See

• South Lake (南湖公园; Nánhúgōngyuán). A large park which is a favorite picnic and recreation spot for locals. In the summer, the lake is used for boating and water sports, and there is a stand of huge lotus plants near one part of it. In the winter, the lake freezes over and serves as a natural skating rink. In winter months it's a romatic and quiet place - but you have to suffer the low winter temeratures. The park almost feels like it is not part of a city, except that there is a good view of the skyscrapers in downtown Changchun across the lake. The park is a very safe place to wander around in the early evening.  edit

• Wenhua Guangchang (文化广场; Wénhùa Guǎngchǎng; lit. Culture Square). Starting north of the crossroads of Xinmin Dajie (新民大街) and Jiefang Dalu (解放大路), is a pleasant urban hangout which offers a glimpse into Changchun's Japanese imperial past. The square is surrounded by several historical buildings from the Manchukuo era. On the north end of the square sits the majestic former New Palace of the Emperor of Manchukuo (新帝宫), which was intended to replace the Puppet Imperial Palace mentioned below. On the south end of the square are the former Manchukuo State Council and Military Affairs buildings. These buildings, which are now affiliated with Jilin University, offer prime examples of early Twentieth Century Japanese architecture. On the square, vendors sell kites and various other products. Many people fly kites from this square, while others play traditional Chinese instruments or just sit and relax. More formal performances are sometimes held on a temporary stage set up near the high school. For casual visitors to Changchun, this is probably a good place to visit by taxi. Crossing the street to get to this location is a skill and best done with locals.  edit

• Puppet Imperial Palace (伪皇宫; Wěihuánggōng). Another place to visit to take in historical Manchukuo. The palace was the home of Pu Yi, the last emperor of China and puppet emperor of Manchukuo, and this centre of the Manchukuo administration may be worth a visit. Most signage is in English, and the grounds are nicely restored. Scenes from the acclaimed 1987 film The Last Emperor were filmed here. . The admission fee in 2008 is ¥80.  edit

• Jingyuetan National Forest Park (净月潭国家森林公园; Jìngyuètánguójiāsēnlíngōngyuán; lit. Crystal Moon Pond), (45 min from downtown to the south east of the city). It is the largest man-made forest park in Asia, and a great place for skiing in the winter. The admission is a rather steep ¥30; or you could, like the locals, just climb through one of the many holes in the fence.  edit

• People's Square (人民广场; Rénmín Guǎngchǎng). In the Chaoyang District around the cross streets of Xi'an Lu (西安路), Renmin Dajie (人民大街), and Changchun Dajie (长春大街). It is one of the focal points of Changchun. It is close to Baishan Park (白山公园), and a mini "Culture Square" of sorts. The site commemorates the Russian soldiers, and specifically Russian pilots that died to liberate Changchun during the Second World War.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Learn

Changchun is a very good place to study Mandarin, the following places provide various courses for all levels:

• Jilin University [2] (吉林大学)

• Changchun University [3] (长春大学)

• Changchun Teacher's College [4] (长春师范学院)

• Changchun University of Technology [5] (长春工业大学)

• North East Normal University [6] (东北师范大学)

There are also private training centers that will provide either small group Mandarin lessons, one-on-one lessons, or even a home tutor. The rates are around ¥40 for a one hour or longer lesson with a professional teacher.

[edit][add listing] Buy

There are three major shopping areas in Changchun: Chongqing Road (重庆路; Chóngqìnglù), Guilin Road (桂林路; Guìlinlù), and Hongqi Street (红旗街; Hóngqíjiē).

[edit] Local products

• Ginseng - as the region around Changchun is a top producer of ginseng, it is available at most pharmacies in the city.

• Kites - attractive and cheap kites are sold by vendors around Culture Square.

[edit] Shops

• Sanfo is the leading outdoor gear stores in China and their store in Changchun is located at 668 Xikang Hutong, Ziyou Dalu District.

• Chongqing Road (重庆路) is in the north of the city and only a 5 minute bus ride from the train station. Here is the biggest selection of clothing shops and department stores in the whole city. The road intersects with Renmin Dajie (lit. People's Avenue 人民大街) and the shops continue for quite some distance to the west. There is a Wal-Mart and various other supermarkets at the far east end of the road as well as a Pizza Hut and Chartered (Zhuōzhǎn 卓展), one of the most expensive shopping malls in Changchun.

• Guilin Road (桂林路) area is about 1.5km to the south of Chongqing Lu along Tongzhi Jie (lit. Comrade Street 同志街) and is the most cosmopolitan part of town. The area along Guilin Lu, Tongzhi Jie, and the surrounding side streets offer much to see, buy, and eat. There are many restaurants in this area especially if you are interested in Korean food. Be careful with Korean food in Changchun as many Korean restaurants specialize in "Dog pot." There is less overall choice than Chongqing Lu, but if you are looking for specifics - e.g. Korean fashions then is the best place in town - though the shops in this area are a little more expensive. This area can be extremely busy, and it is definitely a target area for younger shoppers. Many places will not haggle price.

• Hongqi Street (lit. Red Flag Street, 红旗街) is to the west of Guilin Lu and is the smallest of the three shopping areas. It is dominated by one of the better department stores in Changchun: Ouya (欧亚). The 6th-8th floors of Ouya contain the largest electronics market in the city. You can find anything electronic here, from mp3 players to laptops, you name it. Prices can be very high.

• The Underground Markets (Dìxià Shìchǎng 地下市场): These are now extensive underground shopping areas, originally dug out by POWs during the occupation, intended to be used as bomb shelters. There are three of these places in Changchun: Chongqing Lu (重庆路), the Train Station (长春站), and Hongqi Jie (红旗街). If you want anything cheap (and probably fake) then these are the places to come. The term buyer beware applies. There some good deals to be had, but some products are really poor quality. Be prepared to haggle as the shopkeepers will try to get you to pay foreign prices - so it's essential that you understand some Chinese. If you don't speak Chinese, bring a pen and paper. Start at 50% (or less) off the ticketed price. Over charging foreign visitors is common in these areas, but it is a shopping adventure. From experience, you may be able to get your "deal" at a discount retailer at home.

• Beifang Market (Beǐfāng Shìchǎng 北方市场）

• Zhongdong Market (Zhōngdōng Dàshìchǎng 中东大市场）

[edit][add listing] Eat

Very good flatbread is available in Changchun. Look for it on the streets or in markets.

[edit][add listing] Drink

Beer (啤酒）is probably the cheapest and safest thing to drink - and being Dongbei - comes in many varieties and is available almost anywhere. A big bottle (630 ml) should cost between ¥1.6-5. In the summer months good draft beer is available from most small restaurants, the black beer(黑啤) being particularly good.

Huadan (华丹), Jinshibai (金士百） and Yinpu (银浦) beers are all brewed in Jilin Province. There are also various Harbin beers (哈尔滨啤酒) available, as well as Bing Chuan (冰川) from the Korean prefecture of Jilin Province.

Diet drinks are much harder to find, but you can usually purchase them in larger, western-style supermarkets. Like all cities in China, avoid drinking bottled water from street vendors, and it probably much safer to drink one of many varieties of delicious iced tea produced in China.

[edit] Bars

There are a surprising number of western-style pubs in Changchun. There is a really big bar and club scene on Yihe Lu （义和路） located near the Changchun Library.

There are a series of bars on Longli Lu (隆礼路) which are pretty hot during weekends. The beer there is cheap, about ¥6/cup. Occasionally there are some parties which are organized by "Changchun friends" or foreign teachers. Usually, they play the music themselves. The atmosphere is quite comfortable, and people are very nice.

San Marco & Jazz Bar is also pretty hot these days.

It's been said that "Mayflower" is the hottest club in Changchun, and that the "old Mayflower" is simply the best. Every weekend it's packed! There are two rooms. In the outer room there is a live show daily from 9PM, and after that the DJ plays Disco. Most of people in the outer room are Chinese. The inner room is small but quite popular. It's for foreigners and Chinese young people who like Hip-hop,and people actually dance here. However, it gets out of control after 1AM. People dance sexually and go crazy. Anyway, a lot of people have fun here.

The second/new Mayflower bar was opened in the first half of 2009 in the basement of the Shangri-La hotel. Here it's similar to the other branch, but because of the location in the city center hotel, the international hotel guest visitors bring in another facet into this bar.

"Angels" is another popular club in Changchun. It's comparatively new but nice. It has two rooms. In one, they play Disco, and in the other is a sports bar which plays Hip-Hop. What is interesting in "Angels" is the bathroom. It's unisex, and users are surrounded by mirrors.

Late in 2007 Cheers bar was refurbished in western style and renamed 3 Monkeys. The interior, music collection, drinks menu and all other aspects of the pub were designed by British, Italian and American engineers. The music is all western and the drinks menu includes English ale and Irish stout. This is the only place in Changchun to have a beer and a game of pool in peace. 3 Monkeys has a front terrace away from the main road to have a beer on a summers evening in pleasant surroundings. Located at Tian An City One (天安第一城 .硅谷大街661号朝阳区政府西行300米). Without doubt the only real western pub in Changchun.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

• Chunyi Hotel, 80 Renmin St., Changchun, ☎ (0431)82096888.  edit

[edit] Mid-range

• Paradise Hotel, 46 Renmin St., Changchun, ☎ (0431)2717071 (fax: (0431)2715709).  edit

[edit] Splurge

• Shangri-La Hotel Changchun, 8 Xi'an Rd., Changchun, ☎ (0431)8981818 (fax: (0431)8981919).  edit
• Noble Hotel, 135 Renmin St., Changchun, ☎ (0431)5622688 (fax: (0431)5674763).  edit

[edit] Get out

Harbin is about 3 hours away by train. Train trips to Shenyang vary in length but can last as little as 4 hours. Trains to Jilin city take an hour and a half. Beijing is 8-12 hours away.

Routes through Changchun

Beijing ← Siping ←

W  E

→ Harbin

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!