Jilin Garden: Stories about a green province of Changbai Mountain and the Songhua River

Speaking of Jilin, many of us will think of the following: The magnificent Changbai Mountain, the vast forest, the green grasslands, the fairy-tale world of ice and snow... Jilin is known as a province of Changbai Mountain and the Songhua River. With Changbai Mountain located in the east and the Songliao Plain in the west, Jilin has the rich geographical and cultural traditions with Songhua River running like a silver belt from the east to the west. In the Beijing Expo 2019, the Jilin Garden will tell the stories about “Ecological Jilin, Beautiful Homeland”, tell stories that record the origin and development of Changbai Mountain and the province as a whole to show the beauty of a green and beautiful Jilin.

The Jilin Garden follows the province’s geographical pattern divided into three scenic zones from east to west: Yunding Garden, Rivers and Mountains, and the Jilin People. In a bird’s eye view of the Jilin Garden are found the Songhua River, the Yalu River, the Tumen River, the Yitong River, and the Chagan Lake, with traditional Korean farmhouses of Jilin Province integrated with horticultural planting into a harmonious and peaceful view of livableness and happiness.

At the entrance of the Jilin Garden is a curved shadow wall that looks like Changbai Mountain. The front of the shadow wall is engraved with the relief of Changbai Mountain; and the back is engraved with shaman totems, with masks and religious implements hanging from it. This is the first view of the province’s culture. At the center of the Square, ginseng plants, Rhodiola sachalinensis specimens, red pine seeds, and Northeast China’s yew seeds form a crystal relief, which shows the natural treasures of Jilin.

The first you will see upon entering the Garden is the Yunding Garden. Its prototype is Changbai Mountain. A large number of wild flowers from Changbai Mountain are planted like colorful stars on the Ruyi-shaped Yunding Garden. In the middle of this floral world, a blue auspicious cloud streamer is formed around the Tianchi Lake. This commanding position allows visitors to see the water of the Tianchi Lake, enjoy a distant view of the mountains, the sounds of flowing rivers, the fragrance of flowers, and the twitters of happy birds.

Farther along the path is the second scene of the Garden, Rivers and Mountains, in the form of a smooth hyperbolic wall as the landscape platform, with a maximum height of 4.5 meters. New horticultural products are put on view in the Under-the-Roof Garden, with wooden walls being painted with the totems of the Nayin culture, including Changbai Mountain axes, obsidian blades, the god of Changbai Mountain, the unification of Jianzhou Jurchen by Nurhachi, showing the mystery of the Changbai Mountain culture. In the middle of the Under-the-Roof Garden is a sculpture of Changbai Mountain, the main landscape sculpture of the Jilin Garden. The stones from Changbai Mountain form the 16 peaks of Changbai Mountain, in the middle of which forms the Tianchi Lake. From there water pours down from the waterfall at a height of 4 meters and form water sprays.

At the end of the water system is the third scene - Jilin People. The province is traditionally home to the largest group of the minority ethnic Korean people in China. Its traditional Korean farmyard combines the eco-green horticulture industry. Whether it is box-type small berries, family organic vegetables, or passionate and energetic Korean swings, everything tell stories about the yearning by the people in Jilin, including the minority group, for a better life.