Jilin, the smallest of the three provinces comprising China's Dongbei (northeast) region, rewards nature enthusiasts, hikers, skiers and those simply looking to get away from the increasingly packaged experience found in less remote and more crowded parts of the People's Republic.
In addition to mountains, rivers and forests, Jilin offers visitors a fascinating blend of cultures. Long-present Korean, Mongolian, Manchu, Russian and Japanese influences combine with now-dominant Han elements, creating a unique and underrated destination.
A tour of the province is bound to include Jilin City, an excellent base for exploring both the nearby mountains and Songhua Lake, whether summer hikes or winter ski runs are the objective. Jilin City also plays winter host to an annual Jilin Ice Lantern Festival, a friendly rival to Heilongjiang's Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival.
Jilin's other major city, the capital Changchun, is home to the Puppet Emperor's Palace & Exhibition Hall, where the ill-fated Puyi, last of the Qing emperors, was installed by the Japanese during World War II as ruler of Manchukuo. Beside the palace and a few attractions related to Changchun's history of film production, there's not that much to see in the capital, though it's a pleasant stopover and excellent transportation hub for further exploration of Dongbei.
Those seeking outdoor adventure should head toward the North Korean border and Tian Chi (Heavenly Lake), a remarkable high-altitude crater lake set in a stunning landscape protected by the Changbai Shan Nature Reserve. With over 800 square kilometers of dense forest perfect for hiking, bird watching and general getting-away-from-it-all, Changbai Shan provides welcome relief from the nonstop hustle of life in urban China. Don't plan on a winter visit, however, as the area is often inaccessible due to heavy snowfalls. Visitors should also be wary of wandering into North Korea, which can lead to awkward encounters with North Korean military patrols (you'll just be kicked out, but it's not a great way to spend a day or two of your vacation).
If, however, less confrontational experiences of Korean culture are on your wish list, you're in luck—Jilin is home to the Korean Autonomous Prefecture. Part of China politically but largely Korean when it comes to culture, language and cuisine, the area's bilingual capital of Yanji is about the most authentic experience you can have of Korea without actually going there.
Prior to its incorporation into greater China, the area now known as Jilin was home to a number of "beyond the Wall" tribes and nations, including the Khitan and Jurchen—both fierce warrior peoples who eventually ruled the south, conquering China with arms before falling to cultural assimilation. The same fate would await the Manchu, who swept south and initiated the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the last dynasty China would know.
Curiously, it wasn't until the Qing secured power that significant Han Chinese migration to Jilin, traditionally part of the original Manchu heartland, was allowed. Today, Han are the overwhelming majority in Jilin and traditional Manchurian language and culture is fading away with memories of Puyi, the last emperor.
Despite its restive "barbarian" inhabitants, the resource-rich area that we now know as Jilin was long coveted by powerful Chinese rulers. Indeed, beginning with the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), China's rulers laid claim to the region, with part of present-day Jilin becoming a county during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). Despite these early attempts to firmly incorporate Dongbei into greater imperial China, the non-Han northern peoples were to play huge roles in the future of China, from its northern reaches to the deep south.
Thanks to the three major dynasties initiated by non-Han northern invaders—the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (265–420 AD), Khitan Liao Dynasty (907–1125 AD), the Mongol Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368 AD) and, finally, the Manchu Qing—the north gained in prestige and influence, though often more as sacred homeland than power center. Though many emperors returned north to estates and retreats, they generally still found it necessary to rule China from Beijing.
The 20th century saw Jilin suffer much in the midst of international power struggles. Between 1945 and 1948, the region was occupied by the Japanese before falling under Soviet control, followed by Kuomintang and then, finally, Chinese Communist rule. Although an inland province, Jilin is within easy reach of both the Japanese and Yellow Seas—a proximity that made Japanese seizure and occupation of the area, beginning in the 1930s, possible. As a result, the footprint of the Japanese presence in the area remains visible in urban planning and architecture, mingling with a significant Russian influence.
The tale of Puyi, China's "last emperor," serves as a sad postscript to the tumultuous narrative of China's 20th century. Installed as the puppet ruler of Manchukuo by the Japanese during the war, Puyi held court in his palace in Changchun, only to live out the rest of his life following 1945 under house arrest, dying in 1967 during the early days of the Cultural Revolution.
Today, Jilin's economic development depends on three primary factors: natural resources, agriculture and industry—though tourism grows in importance every year. Jilin enjoys fertile soil, abundant woodlands, grasslands and substantial reserves of oil, coal, iron, oil shale and mineral water. And despite the severe winters, Jilin also accounts for half of China's agricultural output of maize.