茶路 · Tea Path
Jílín · 吉林省
Growing region · Changbai Mountain · Ginseng · Rime Ice

Jílín

吉林省 · Jílín

At the edge of the world, where snow meets ginseng

天池茶韵

Jilin — a route NOT about camellia, but about the tea culture of the North. Ginseng tea ('root of life'), Korean barley bori-cha, taiga herbal blends. Heaven Lake in the crater of Changbai Mountain and the surreal rime-covered trees along the Songhua River. Here 'tea' means far more than Camellia sinensis.

Teas of this area

Женьшеневый чай 人参茶

'Root of life', 1000+ years of use. Wild vs cultivated: 10-fold difference in price and potency. Tonic, with a bittersweet aftertaste.

Бори-ча 麦茶

Korean barley tea — a daily drink in Yanbian. Cool, nutty.

Линчжи чай 灵芝茶

Lingzhi (reishi) mushroom tea. Taiga apothecary: rosehip, peony root, lingzhi.

Route by days

  1. День 2

    Яньцзи · Яньбянь 延吉·延边

    Korean Tea · Bori-cha

    Yanji — the capital of the Korean Autonomous Prefecture. Bori-cha (barley), oksusu-cha (corn silk). Deungulte — a meditative tea ceremony. Korean cuisine: cold noodles, bibimbap, kimchi. 'Little Korea' inside China.

    Ondol hotel — heated floor, Korean breakfast

  2. Дни 3–4

    Чанбайшань 长白山

    Heaven Lake · Herbal Infusions

    Changbai Mountain — 'Eternally White Mountain', 2744 m. Heaven Lake (天池) — a crater lake, one of the most beautiful. Hot springs — boiling eggs. Taiga: birch, cedar, larch. Sacred to Manchu and Koreans. Border with Korea. UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

    Thermal hotel — hot springs in a snowy forest

  3. День 5

    Тунхуа 通化

    Ginseng · Taiga Blends

    Wild ginseng vs cultivated — a 10-fold difference. Tea from lingzhi, rosehip, peony root — the taiga apothecary. Tasting: ginseng + barley + corn + Korean.

    Tonghua Hotel

  4. День 6

    Цзилинь 吉林市

    Rime Ice · Winter Tea Gathering

    Rime trees (雾凇) on the Songhua River — a natural wonder, one of China's most surreal landscapes. Hot ginseng tea amid ice crystals. The most photogenic place.

    Jilin Hotel

  5. День 7

    Чанчунь 长春

    Manchukuo · Finale

    Manchukuo Palace — the last emperor, Puyi. Final tasting: all the herbal teas of the route.

Planning

Transport
Fly into Changchun (CGQ) or Yanji (YNJ). Minibus + trains. ~1200 km.
Climate
Winter: -20–-10°C (rime ice!). Summer: 15–28°C. Changbai Mountain: -30°C in winter. Thermal underwear MANDATORY in winter.
What to bring
IN WINTER: down jacket, thermal underwear, hat, gloves, hand warmers. IN SUMMER: jacket for the mountains. Camera (rime ice!).
Buying tea
Wild ginseng: from 500 ¥/root. Cultivated: from 50. Lingzhi, rosehip. Korean snacks from Yanji.