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5A LevelForest Parks

Jingyuetan National Forest Park

Jingyuetan National Forest Park

Jilin · Changchun

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Category:Natural Scenery

Jingyuetan National Forest Park, the green lung of Changchun, is renowned for its clear lake and dense forest. With beautiful scenery in all seasons, it offers spring outings, summer escapes, autumn foliage, and winter snow sports, making it an ideal destination for nature and leisure.

INTRODUCTION

About This Attraction

Jingyuetan: A Natural Oxygen Bar in the City

Overview: Asia's Largest Artificial Forest and Urban Ecological Core

Jingyuetan National Forest Park is located in the southeast of Changchun City, Jilin Province, about 12 kilometers from the city center, covering a total area of 96.38 square kilometers. This vast green space is named after an artificial reservoir shaped like a crescent moon. Its core resource is Asia's largest artificial forest ecosystem, with a forest coverage rate of over 96%, encompassing more than 100 square kilometers of vast forest. The park's water area is about 4.3 square kilometers, with a storage capacity of 25.8 million cubic meters. Together with the rolling hills, it forms a unique landscape of "forest and water interdependence, city and forest integration."

As a national AAAAA tourist attraction, national forest park, and national scenic area, Jingyuetan is not only the "green lung" and "natural oxygen bar" of Changchun but also a comprehensive eco-tourism destination integrating ecological protection, leisure vacation, and science education. Its key data are as follows:

Location: 5840 Jingyue Street, Nanguan District, Changchun City, Jilin Province
Total Area: 96.38 square kilometers
Forest Coverage: Over 96%

PRACTICAL INFO

Travel Essentials

Opening Hours

Summer (May 1 - Oct 31): 6:00-20:00; Winter (Nov 1 - Apr 30): 7:00-18:00

Ticket Price

Adult: ¥30/person; Student: ¥15/person (with student ID); Senior: half price for ages 60-65, free for ages 65+ (with ID); Sightseeing bus: ¥20/person (around the lake, about 1 hour)

How to Get There

Bus: Take buses 102, 120, 160, 335, etc., in Changchun and get off at "Jingyuetan Park" station. Rail Transit: Take Changchun Rail Transit Line 3 to "Jingyuetan Park" station, and the park is right outside. Self-driving: Navigate to "Jingyuetan National Forest Park"; the park has a large parking lot with a fee of 5 yuan/hour.

NEARBY

Nearby Attractions

The Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo

The Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo

伪满皇宫博物院，位于长春，是清朝末代皇帝溥仪作为伪满洲国傀儡皇帝时的宫廷旧址。这里见证了日本侵华的历史，建筑融合中日风格，现为警示后人的重要历史遗迹。

Beishan Ancient Temple Complex

Beishan Ancient Temple Complex

北山古庙群依山而建，错落有致，集儒释道三教于一体。古木参天，晨钟暮鼓，石刻碑文诉说着千年沧桑，是探寻历史与静心祈福的绝佳之地。

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History: From Artificial Reservoir to Ecological Model

Water Conservancy Project Origin (1934-1945)

The history of Jingyuetan dates back to the Puppet Manchukuo period. In 1934, to meet the water supply needs of Changchun (then called "Xinjing"), the Japanese colonial authorities built a dam on the upper reaches of the Xiaoheta River, a tributary of the Yitong River, creating an artificial reservoir. The reservoir was named "Jingyuetan" because its water surface resembled a crescent moon and echoed the Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan. The dam is a concrete gravity dam, 555 meters long, 19.5 meters high, and 6 meters wide at the top, making it one of the important water conservancy projects in Northeast China at that time.

Artificial Afforestation Project (1949-1980s)

After the founding of New China, the function of Jingyuetan shifted from water supply to ecological construction. Starting in the 1950s, the forestry department of Jilin Province carried out large-scale artificial afforestation here, introducing dozens of coniferous species such as Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, black pine, and larch, gradually forming an artificial forest ecosystem dominated by mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests. By the 1980s, the artificial forest area in Jingyuetan had exceeded 80 square kilometers, becoming one of the largest artificial forest bases in Asia. This afforestation project not only effectively curbed soil erosion but also built a natural ecological barrier for Changchun.

Establishment of National Forest Park (1988-present)

In 1988, Jingyuetan was approved as a national forest park by the former Ministry of Forestry, marking the beginning of standardized ecological protection and tourism development. In 1995, the park was listed as a national scenic area; in 2011, it was officially rated as a national AAAAA tourist attraction. Since then, the park has successively implemented projects such as ecological restoration, trail construction, and smart scenic area management, gradually developing into a comprehensive tourism destination integrating ecological sightseeing, forest wellness, and ice and snow sports.

Layout: A Lake of Clear Water, Scenery for All Seasons

Jingyuetan National Forest Park, centered on the Jingyuetan Reservoir, is divided into multiple functional areas according to the terrain, with an overall spatial structure of "one lake, two axes, and three zones." The main attractions are distributed along the ring lake road, with a total length of about 18.5 kilometers, which visitors can explore on foot, by bike, or by sightseeing bus.

Core Water Area: Jingyuetan

The Jingyuetan Reservoir is the soul of the park. The reservoir runs east-west, with the widest point about 1.5 kilometers, the narrowest about 300 meters, an average depth of about 6 meters, and a maximum depth of 16 meters. The water is clear and green, surrounded by green mountains, and the shoreline is winding, creating a beautiful picture of "water in the mountains, mountains in the water." The "Moon Bay" on the west side is an excellent spot to watch the sunset, while the "Bisong Jingyue Tower" on the east side provides a vantage point overlooking the entire lake.

Main Scenic Areas

Forest Bathing Area: Located in the middle of the park, covering about 2 square kilometers, this is the area with the highest concentration of negative oxygen ions. It features large forests of black pine and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, with a total trail length of about 3.5 kilometers, equipped with wooden plank roads, rest pavilions, and fitness facilities, making it the preferred place for forest wellness and hiking.
Jingyue Wetland: Located in the southwest of the park, covering about 0.8 square kilometers, this is an important ecological conservation area. The wetland is full of reeds and waterfowl, with a birdwatching platform and science education corridor, showcasing the diversity and importance of wetland ecosystems.
Ski Resort: Located in the southeast of the park, it is the largest urban ski resort in Changchun. The ski area covers about 6 square kilometers, with 8 ski runs of beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, totaling about 7 kilometers, and can accommodate 3,000 skiers at the same time. In winter, the "Vasaloppet China Jingyuetan International Ski Festival" is held here, attracting ski enthusiasts from home and abroad.
North Putuo Temple: Located in the north of the park, it is a Han Chinese Buddhist temple built in the 1990s. The temple covers about 30,000 square meters, with a building area of about 12,000 square meters. The main buildings include the Mountain Gate, Heavenly King Hall, Grand Hall of Great Wisdom, and Sutra Library, with architectural styles blending Ming and Qing official architecture and Northeast local characteristics.
Bisong Jingyue Tower: Located on the hilltop west of the lake, it is an antique tower-style building. The tower is about 50 meters high with 9 floors. Climbing the tower offers a 360-degree view of the entire Jingyuetan and the Changchun skyline. The ground floor houses the Jingyuetan History Exhibition Hall, showcasing the park's evolution from a reservoir to a forest park.

Natural Features: The Ecological Miracle of Artificial Forest

Forest Ecosystem

The forest of Jingyuetan is a model of combining artificial intervention and natural succession. The main tree species include Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, black pine, larch, red pine, white birch, Mongolian oak, and mountain poplar, forming various forest types such as coniferous forest, mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest, and broad-leaved forest. Among them, the Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica forest has the largest area, accounting for about 40% of the total forest land, with trees reaching 20-30 meters in height, 30-50 centimeters in diameter at breast height, and ages mostly between 50 and 80 years. The understory vegetation is rich, commonly including hazel, lespedeza, ferns, and mosses, forming a multi-layered plant community structure.

The forest coverage rate of the park is over 96%, releasing about 54,000 tons of oxygen and absorbing about 72,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually, making it a veritable "green lung" for Changchun. According to monitoring, the average concentration of negative oxygen ions in the park can reach 3,000-5,000 per cubic centimeter, far higher than in the city center, and in core areas such as the Forest Bathing Area, it can even exceed 10,000 per cubic centimeter.

Aquatic Ecosystem

The water quality of Jingyuetan Reservoir is maintained at the national Class II surface water standard year-round, making it one of the important drinking water sources for Changchun. The reservoir is home to more than 20 fish species, including silver carp, bighead carp, common carp, and crucian carp, as well as aquatic organisms such as shrimp, crabs, and shellfish. Every spring and autumn, a large number of migratory birds stop here, including swans, geese, wild ducks, and egrets, forming a spectacular bird migration scene.

Seasonal Scenery Features

Spring: Mountain flowers bloom in profusion, with apricot, peach, pear, and azalea flowers blooming in succession, and new green sprouts in the forest, full of vitality.
Summer: Trees are lush and shady, the lake water is cool, and the average temperature is 3-5°C lower than in the urban area, making it an ideal place for summer leisure.
Autumn: The forest is dyed in layers of color, with golden white birches, fiery red maples, and verdant pines and cypresses, forming a colorful oil painting.
Winter: The land is covered in silver, the lake freezes, and the ski resort opens, making it an excellent place for ice and snow sports and snow viewing.