Savor Korean Flavor

Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture is located at the far eastern edge of Jilin Province. Its unique Korean ethnic culture， spectacular landscapes and fascinating border tours to DPRK and Russia have already made the area a major tourist draw. With a total area of 43，500 square kilometers， the prefecture occupies nearly a quarter of the province’s total area， border- ing Russia to the east and facing DPRK across the Tumen River to the south.

Administering six cities and two counties， the prefecture is home to China’s largest concentration of residents of the Korean ethnic group， whose ancestors migrated from the Korean peninsula into northeast China in the late 17th century. At present， Yanbian has a population of 2.18 million， 37 percent of whom are ethnic Korean. The prefecture is characterized by immense expanses of agricultural land nestled amongst rolling hills. Korean culture is evident everywhere， from festivals and ceremonies with traditional Korean costumes， music， dance and sporting activities to street signs in both Han and Korean languages and uniquely flavorful Korean cuisine. A trip to Yanbian is not complete without Korean food such as cold noodles， sticky rice cakes， barbecued beef， and kimchi， which accompanies almost every meal.

One outstanding attraction of Yanbian prefecture is Mt. Changbai National Natural Reserve which boasts some of Northeast Asia’s most dramatic scenery. The mountain is also a biosphere reserve included in UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme as early as 1980.

Yanbian is dominated by hills， plains and broad valleys. Around 80 percent of Yanbian is forested by Korean and Japanese pines， Changbai larch， linden and birch tree species. Mountain herbs and wild mushrooms abound， and the area is one of China’s major producers of ginseng. The climate is seasonal， with dry and windy springs， pleasant summers， cool autumns and cold winters. Thus， the prefecture is a favorite choice for tourists visiting northeastern China in summer.