Changbai Mountain - Infinite Natural Scenery

I used to only know that Changbai Mountain is famous for its ginseng, but I had no idea about the scenery there. It wasn't until a friend who grew up in Changchun introduced it to me that I learned about the many beautiful sights of Changbai Mountain. Today, I finally had the chance to visit the three northeastern provinces in mid-September, including a trip to Changbai Mountain. Before going, I read various materials and found out that Changbai Mountain has a southern slope, northern slope, and western slope. Initially, I wanted to choose the southern slope, but it was closed on certain days in early September, and the western slope requires climbing thousands of steps. Given my lack of experience, we opted for the more accessible northern slope. This time, I stayed on Changbai Mountain and could take the hotel's shuttle and VIP (express) lane to the northern slope, which was very convenient. However, staying on the mountain made it less convenient to go down to Erdaobaihe Town. We were very fortunate with the weather and got to see the beautiful Tianchi Lake. However, to see Tianchi, you have to wait in line for about 30 minutes. Even though I went during the off-season, there were still many tourists, so you have to walk carefully. There's also a spot on the way to Tianchi where you can see North Korea. You need to pay close attention or ask the staff of Changbai Mountain because the signs are not very clear, and it's easy to miss. After that, we visited the Changbai Mountain Waterfall. To see the waterfall, you have to walk a bit on the mountain, but it's very special as there are hot springs on one side and the waterfall on the other. The hot spring water has a faint sulfur smell. Near the waterfall, there's a forest that's great for taking photos. After coming down from the waterfall, there's a place for snacks and drinks. We had hot spring boiled eggs, corn, and fried rice cakes. I had never seen fried rice cakes before; the texture was very unique. I also learned what 'gaga jiao' and 'gaga xiang' mean. Additionally, we visited the Starbucks on Changbai Mountain, but it was very crowded, with at least a 30-45 minute wait. If you're in a hurry, it's best to skip it.