If you’re planning a trip to Changbai Mountain during winter, there are many things you can do, like skiing or soaking in hot springs. Even just enjoying the scenery of Changbai Mountain is a truly delightful experience. So, why not give it a try?
What to do
Many people come to Changbai Mountain to ski. There are four main ski resorts in Changbai Mountain: Changbai Mountain Luneng Resort, Wanda Changbai Mountain International Resort, Changbai Mountain Heping Ski Resort, and Changbai Mountain Tianchi Xue Ski Resort.
If you’re looking for the most convenient ski resort, Luneng and Wanda are the best choices. Both are part of comprehensive resort areas, offering everything from food and accommodation to skiing and hot springs. The only difference is the richness of facilities, which I will talk about later when discussing accommodation.
Wanda Changbai Mountain International Resort: The ski resort was designed by Ecosign, a Canadian company that designed the venues for five Winter Olympics. The resort covers an area of 7 square kilometers and features 43 ski slopes, including 9 advanced slopes that meet Winter Olympics standards, 14 intermediate slopes, and 20 beginner slopes. The resort has 7 cable cars with a total length of 7.1 kilometers.
Changbai Mountain Luneng Resort: There are fewer ski slopes, but the resort caters to fewer travelers due to the smaller number of hotels. The ski area covers 32 hectares with 15 slopes and 2 cable cars.
Changbai Mountain Heping Ski Resort: This resort is much smaller, covering only 10 hectares and located relatively far from most well-known hotels.
Changbai Mountain Tianchi Xue: This is a genuine wild ski slope, currently scheduled to open in mid-December. The advantage is the altitude of over 2000 meters, offering a true Changbai Mountain skiing experience. However, there are no cable cars or facilities, so it requires advanced skiing skills.
Hot Springs
Firstly, the hot springs in Changbai Mountain are definitely worth a try. They are rich in various minerals and trace elements, beneficial for both the body and skin.
However, hot springs in Changbai Mountain are usually linked to hotels and resorts. For example, Wanda and Luneng resorts have their own hot springs, which are of good quality. Here’s a relatively popular hot spring known for its “iron pot stews.”
This hot spring actually belongs to the Zihe Resort Hotel in Erdao Baihe. Located near the northern scenic area of Changbai Mountain, the hotel uses natural spring water from Changbai Mountain. The hotel itself won the First Prize in the Annual Construction Project Award from the American CDA Building Association. Of course, you can stay here, but if you just want to experience the hot springs, it will cost around 200 yuan per person.
Snow Scenes
Changbai Mountain’s main peak already has snow in September, so you can definitely see snow scenes now. Also, Changbai Mountain has many other places to enjoy the snow scenes, not just the main peak. Here’s an official image for you to get a feel.
Accommodation
Wanda Changbai Mountain International Resort
If you want to enjoy comprehensive facilities and a perfect vacation experience in the Changbai Mountain area, the best choice is the Wanda Changbai Mountain International Resort. There are 10 hotels, including major brands like Marriott, Hyatt, InterContinental, and Accor Group. As you saw earlier, it definitely has the largest ski resort.
If you ask which one is the best, it’s definitely the Park Hyatt here. While the resort has an average of 300 rooms per hotel, the Park Hyatt has only 163 rooms, with the smallest being 55 square meters. The hardware of the rooms is excellent, and the hotel also has two hot springs (one indoor and one outdoor). Just like the Hyatt mentioned later, it’s super close to the ski resort.
The next level is the Westin and Hyatt. Of these two, I definitely recommend the Hyatt. On the one hand, the Hyatt also has hot springs, and on the other hand, the Hyatt is part of the second phase of construction, while the Westin is the first phase, so the overall quality is better for newer hotels.
However, the Westin is also good, and its themed decoration is unique among these hotels.
Changbai Mountain Luneng Resort
Luneng’s resort is significantly smaller than Wanda’s, but it’s newer overall. It also has some excellent hotels. The equivalent of the Park Hyatt is the MGallery, a luxury brand under the Accor Group. Currently, there’s only one in China, and it has only 49 rooms. The hotel faces Changbai Mountain directly. If you’re looking for the most exclusive option among all the big names in Changbai Mountain, this is it.
Another option is the Swissotel. The hotel is also somewhat of an internet sensation, mainly for its wooden cabins. Once it snows, it truly feels like being in the Alps. However, it’s important to note that staying in a wooden cabin will cost a few hundred yuan extra, although it’s definitely cheaper than the MGallery! The hotel has discounts recently.
Erdao Baihe
If you choose to stay in Wanda or Luneng, even the more niche experiences are still mainstream and offer good quality. However, in terms of uniqueness, I recommend staying in Erdao Baihe. It takes about an hour and a half to drive from Erdao Baihe to Luneng, so don’t expect to easily enjoy the facilities of Luneng and Wanda. However, the vacation experience in Erdao Baihe is also unique. While there are no hotels directly connected to the ski resort, it’s only a 30-minute drive to Changbai Mountain Heping Ski Resort. Various restaurants in Erdao Baihe Town are also just a 10-minute drive from the hotels.
The first one I’ll mention is the Zihe, which offers the “iron pot stews.” The hotel focuses on hot springs, with simple and comfortable rooms. The food focuses on the Northeastern style of Japanese cuisine, perfect for warming up in winter.
If you’re looking for a more themed vacation experience, I highly recommend the Zihe. Oh, by the way, there’s a snowman array outside, it’s super cute! I personally don’t think their packages are very competitive, so I won’t include them. I recommend purchasing based on the daily rate.
Another option is the Changbai Mountain Migu Courtyard, located next to the Zihe, with a Nordic avant-garde design. It’s the cheapest among all the hotels mentioned, with the lowest price sometimes as low as 300+ yuan per night.
Another option is the Changbai Mountain Chibei Shuise Villa, which opened in 2019. The hotel has a limited number of villas, each with outdoor hot springs. Larger rooms even have saunas and indoor hot springs. The design is even more avant-garde than Migu. You can consider it the Nordic-style luxury option in Changbai Mountain. It currently costs around 1500 yuan for one night, with the smallest room being 128 square meters. However, it’s a 40-minute drive to the ski resort.
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