Exploring Jilin’s Winter Wonderland.docVIP

Exploring Jilin’s Winter Wonderland 　　Winter in northeast China is long. And very cold. During these frozen months， Chinas northeast corner comes into its own. The countryside becomes caked with snow， and the icy streets of its cities wake up to a bitter frost every day as the sun struggles to break through the morning mist. These conditions lend themselves to a unique and warm winter culture―none more so than in Jilin Province， the heart of northeast China. In January just ahead of the traditional Spring Festival， Jilin showed off its winter tourism resources to a group of foreign journalists and students. Changchun， the industrial and modernized provincial capital， is the usual point of arrival for visitors to Jilin. Several hotels have bedrooms with views over South Lake， a park featuring a picturesque and perhaps unexpected landscape in this part of the world. As would be expected in a place that gets this much snow， the local people know how to make the most of it. A short journey out of the city limits takes you to Jingyuetan Lake. The open expanses of frozen lake， bordered by pine tree-covered hills， provide the setting for the Changchun Ice and Snow Festival. Incredibly accurate snow sculptures loom large over visitors. Giant koalas and kangaroos， usually more comfortable in warmer climes， stare ironically across the frigid landscape. Unerringly precise but scaled-down versions of the Sydney Opera House and Beijing’s Temple of Heaven are also impressive. Just over 100 km away from Changchun， the province showed off one of its true gems to the touring group of foreigners. Jilins original and largest ski resort， Lake Songhua Resort， is full of boarders and skiers making the most of the perfect powder snow conditions. Founded in 1962， the ski resort has been hosting Chinese and foreign winter sports enthusiasts for a long time―the experience shows. The infrastructure is smart and highly developed， and the slopes are varied， providing opportunities f