Published : 2025-12-05
When planning a winter trip to China, many visitors head to big cities like Beijing or Shanghai. Yet beyond the metropolises, China’s northeast—particularly Jilin—offers rich winter experiences.
Here, you can marvel at ice lanterns and snow sculptures, try ice dragon boat racing, or experience the unique tradition of winter fishing on Chagan Lake.
What is so special about Jilin's winter?
Jilin is located on the north-eastern frontier of China, bordering North Korea, and due to its latitude and longitude, its winters are therefore particularly cold.
It is also because of its long and freezing winters that its winter tourism has become a major feature of travel in China.
Located at 43.87°N latitude, Jilin experiences a prolonged winter snow season lasting around 120 days—meaning almost four months of snowfall each year.
During the heart of winter, snowfalls are particularly heavy, with average temperatures ranging between -15°C and -25°C.
These conditions make it ideally suited for skiing and ice sculpture viewing, securing its place as an essential winter destination for travellers in China.
Thanks to its distinctive climatic conditions, Jilin offers a remarkably vibrant array of winter activities. Among these, skiing stands out as a premier choice.
The province is home to several high‑quality ski resorts, such as the Songhua Lake Ski Resort, Changbaishan Tianchi Ski Resort, and the Changbaishan International Resort Ski Area—all well‑equipped and catering to winter sports enthusiasts.
Besides skiing, Jilin is also a paradise for enjoying the snow and ice.
Beyond skiing, Jilin is also a paradise for snow and ice scenery. Among its attractions, Wusong Island (Rime Island) stands out as a renowned destination for snow viewing.
Its characteristic "tree-hangings" or frost-covered willows—often called "snow willows"—are celebrated alongside the landscapes of Guilin, the Stone Forest of Yunnan, and the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River as one of China’s Four Great Natural Wonders.
Since 1991, Jilin has hosted the "Rime Ice and Snow Festival," which has grown into a comprehensive cultural, sporting, tourism, and business event. Today, it ranks among the must-visit winter destinations in China.
Read more: The "hottest" winter activities in China
Apart from Rime Island, Jilin's ice sculptures are another major feature. The large-scale ice lantern exhibition held annually displays highly distinctive works, including an ice Temple of Heaven, an ice Forbidden City, an ice train, and even ice animals, all skilfully carved to capture both form and spirit.
Besides being lifelike to view during the daytime, these exquisite ice sculptures are lit up at night, becoming dazzling ice lanterns, which is definitely one of the most unique tourist attractions for those travelling in China.
If you find admiring the snowy scenery and looking at ice lanterns not appealing enough, there is another very attractive activity: watching the ice fishing at Chagan Lake.
Aren't lakes all frozen in winter? That's right! Chagan Lake is no exception. But how do you fish on a frozen lake?
Winter fishing at Chagan Lake
The entire winter fishing season begins at the end of December each year and then takes place every day for a period of time.
And for Chagan Lake, which is 420 square kilometres large, it must officially enter its frozen stage before fishing can begin; the indicator for this is that the ice layer's thickness must be over 40 centimetres.
What is so special about this ice fishing activity?
Its uniqueness is because fishing on Chagan Lake continues the ancient traditional fishing methods of the north, enjoying the reputation of "Leaping Fish on a Frozen Lake, a Feast of Ice and Snow".
It turns out that this type of fishing activity appeared as early as over 10,000 years ago, was still very prevalent during the Qing Dynasty, and has continued to this day.
Winter fishing typically involves drilling two to four holes in the ice. The nets are set in the morning and retrieved around 1 p.m., hauled in by hand before being pulled fully onto the ice by horses.
The fresh fish, hidden deep beneath the frozen surface, become the most prized catch. Both locals and visitors eagerly snap up their favourite catches from the day’s haul.
A trip to Jilin offers the chance to admire snow and ice, and to experience the most authentic and time‑honoured tradition of winter fishing.
As one of China’s must‑visit winter destinations, Jilin has long been a favourite among skiing enthusiasts and one of the best places to view ice lantern displays.
Grown tired of seeing artificial winter decorations in big cities? Why not head to Jilin for a journey through its authentic snowy charm in the Northeast.
Read more: Top destinations for breathtaking rime ice in China
