Lying
in the Songliao Plain of central Jilin Province, the city of Changchun
has an area of 20,000 square kilometers and a population of 6.77 million.
It is the capital and the political, economic, and cultural center of
Jilin Province. Changchun has a well-developed industry, and it is a
major automobile producer in China. The city enjoys a thriving science
and culture. The streets, wide and tidy, are lined with verdant trees
in spring and summer. When winter comes, everything in the city is under
snow. Changchun is referred to as a "city of forests" and
a "city of spring north the Great Wall."
Imperial Palace of "Manchukuo"
Located in northestern Changchun, the exhibition hall of "Manchukuo,"
the Japanese imperialism's puppet state stretches for 43,000 square
meters in area. It is here that Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi, the last emperor
of the Qing Dynasty, was enthroned for the third time when he became
the puppet emperor of "Manchukuo." In 1934, the puppet regime
was renamed the "Manchu empire" with the reign title of "Kangde."
On March 1 of the same year, Pu Yi came to power and made his residence
the imperial palace, which was divided into the outer and inner palaces.
The inner palace served as the residential area of Pu Yi and his empress
and concubines, while the outer palace was where Pu Pi carried out political
activities.
The
Jingyue Pool National Forest Park
The park extends 200 square kilometers to the southeast of Changchun
proper. Inside are Jingyue and Yutain towns, the Changchun Cinema City,
and 119 mountain peaks. There are 100 square kilometers of cultivated
land, 10 square kilometers of forests, and 4.3 square kilometers of
water. Jingyue Pool was so named because the pool looks like a crescent
moon after a dam was built to retain water. It becomes famous because
of its enchanting landscape of green mountains and clear water. It is
cited as the sister of Riyue (Sun and Moon) Pool of Taiwan. The ski
slopes in the park are China's largest tourist winter sport base.
Ancient Pagoda in Nong'an
The pagoda towers in Nong'an Town of Nong'an County, 70 kilometers northwest
of Changchun. Nong'an County has a time-honored history. Built 2,000
years ago, Nong'an was made Huanglong Prefecture-the capital of Fuyu
State- in 346. In the third year of the reign of Emperor Sheng Zong
of the Liao Dynasty, the pagoda was erected 100 meters west of the city
wall. In 1953, fund was allocated to give the ancient pagoda an overall
renovation.
The
Changchun Cinema City
Tucked away among green trees by the side of Kuanping Bridge in urban
Changchun, the cinema city was built in 1987 for movie goers, movie
shooting, and recreation. On its 29 hectares of land are arranged the
Devil's Cave, a block of Beijing-style courtyard houses, a horse racecourse,
a shooting range, an outdoor dance ground, wooden blockhouses in imitation
of a Korean village, a fishing village in the style of the Hezhen ethnic
group, a video-music hall, a multi-functioned movie palace, various
cinemas, and a street with the Ming and Qing dynasty features.
The Cultural Square
Formerly called Dizhi Palace Square, the Cultural Square lies in the
center of Changchun. It is 205,000 square meters in area, the largest
in urban Changchun, Of which 100,000 square meters are under green.
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