Attractions in Changchun: Banruo Temple Changchun Film Studio Jingyuetan Ski Resort Puppet Emperor's Palace & Exhibition Hall

Changchun Introduction

Located in the very center of the Dongbei Plain, Changchun is one of the few cities in China that boasts a sizeable minority population including Manchurians, Muslims, Mongolians, Xibao and Zhuang. The city began its life in 1800 as a major granary in the north due to its unparalleled fertile soil. Within a quarter of a century, it quickly gained its fame as the rice and soy producing city of Asia.

The city lay in peace throughout the 19th century until it began to be disturbed with the collapse of the Qing Dynasty. In 1924, the last and already deposed emperor, Puyi, moved to Changchun by order of, and for protection under, the expanding and ambitious Japanese. Changchun remained the capital of the Japanese Manchukuo state from around 1932 until 1945. It was not until after the liberation that this situation was officially put to an end. Puyi was thrown into prison.

In recent years the city has grown, concentrating on major primary industries. After the communists came in to office in 1950, they initiated a bold plan to transform the city into a major industrial base, with the helping hand of the Soviets. The discovery of large oil and gas reserves in the late 1950s gave the city the added boost that it needed to carry its modernisation into the twenty first century. With such a thriving environment the city began to churn out a variety of goods. Most notable were films from the propaganda machine, the Changchun Film Studio, and the automobile industry, with Liberation Trucks heading towards Korea, and "red flag" Limousines heading for Beijing's Zhongnanhai (the leadership compound). Today, cars running on the road of Changchun are mainly Golf, Santana, and Audi, thanks to the establishment of a Sino-German joint venture.

It is not industry that brings tourists to the city, however, but a variety of other factors, mainly related to the cities pleasant scenery, its history or its skiing. The city is a town planners dream of straight roads, well-spaced parks and some large squares (including the world's second largest, the Culture Square). It has a tree coverage of 40 per cent. In terms of history the city is best known for its role in the war and Puyi's Palace is easily the cities most enjoyable sight. For more excitement, the snowy slopes of Jingyuetan are a good way to enjoy the cold.

Sight Overview
Renowned as an industrial base, Changchun is not traditionally a tourist city. Although the local government has been making an effort to promote the tourism industry of late, the city still lacks both natural and cultural attractions of any particular note. However, the city is beautiful in itself for its clean streets, lush plantations and old Russian and Japanese style buildings.

The best sight of Changchun is almost certainly the Puppet Emperor's Palace. A sad, interesting look into the past, this building was the residence of the deposed last Qing Emperor, who was kept here to legitamise the Japanese occupation of the state of Manchukuo, northeastern China. Of historical interest as well, the Banruo Temple in the city center is a good introduction, for those who have not done so, to colourful Buddhist culture.

For the Chinese, Changchun's biggest feature has probably been its role in the promotion of the Chinese film industry. This area of the north is considered by the residents here as highly as Hollywood, and the tourist industry have tried to make the most of it. The Changchun Film Studio is a not particularly fascinating example of this, now part museum, part studio, part film theatre.

For those after a bit more excitement, you can also ski near Changchun, and the Jingyuetan Ski Resort is the perfect place, not only good for its natural scenery and skiing (for part of the year), but also for its wildlife and the rail slides that will whisk you down the slopes in no time