Changbai Mountain, which is in fact a mountain range, is stunningly beautiful, especially in winter, but its summer weather also appeals to many visitors as it is never too hot, and gets even more refreshing at nightfall.

Changbai Mountain features unspoiled nature, thanks to the fact that the mountain range was considered sacred, and especially thanks to the fact that at the time when this mountain range might otherwise have seen its pristine forests depleted, China's officials issued special decrees that protected the mountain range from ecological abuse.

As a mountain range, Changbai, which covers an area of over 8,000 square kilometers, is characterized by ridges and gorges, and of course, by its virgin forests. Changbai has several peaks, 16 of which exceed 2,500 meters above sea level, with its highest peak, Baiyun Peak, at an elevation of 2,691 meters.

Mountain ranges are naturally synonymous with water, and Changbai is no exception. Besides its crater lake, Tianchi, Changbai gives birth to three major rivers - the Songhua, Tumen, and Yalu - as well as to a number of minor rivers, countless rivulets, and a number of lesser lakes.

Where there are mountain rivers, there is always the likelihood of a waterfall, as is true here. Changbai Grand Waterfall (described in greater detail below), though not the tallest in the world (in terms of the longest drop), is nonetheless the tallest among waterfalls of volcanic mountains.

Changbai is also home to lesser waterfalls and to a large number of thermal springs, many of which have an ideal temperature for bathing - and some of whose waters also have an ideal mineral content relevant to balneotherapy - making the area a popular spa destination for those who prize the therapeutic properties of natural thermal springs. The locals, however, amuse themselves by boiling eggs in the hottest of the hot springs, some of which, due to their mineral content, can impart a color to the boiled eggs.

Due to its great height, the mountain range offers four different biotopes that correspond to four different climate zones, from a temperate zone at its base to a frigid zone at its peak. The animals and plants that exist in any given biotope are in large part determined by the climatic conditions of the climate zone in question, though the biotopes are not mutually exclusive - some local overlapping occurs, as some plants and animals tolerate a greater climatic range than others.

The Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve's wildlife includes 43 threatened species (some under state protection), such as the Sika, the Sable, the Lynx, the Black Bear, the Otter, the Goral (such as Naemorhedus goral, a type of antelope), the Leopard and the Siberian Tiger. In all, there are some 1,200 animal species that call Changbai Mountain their home.

The reserve's varied plant life includes 2,277 currently known species (the list is expanding, for scientists from home and abroad continually comb the mountain range in search of new species), the large majority of which belong to the higher plants' family (an example of lower plant species are fungi). Some of the major tree species are the White Birch, Elm, Mangrove, Spruce, Betula Ermanii, and local species, such as Meiren Pine.

There are also hazelnut trees and other nut trees, as well as numerous medicinal plants, including herbal roots such as Ginseng and Codonopsis Pilosula (known as dangshen in Chinese), and of course, there are countless mushrooms here, some of which are edible (many varieties are poisonous, including some that are deadly).

Meiren (means "Beauty" in Chinese) Pine, which is considered a geographical mutation of the Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris), is native to the Erdaobai River area of Changbai Mountain. It is a typical coniferous evergreen tree, albeit, of medium stature. The tree's average height is about 30 meters, and its average diameter of 40 centimeters makes it a somewhat slender tree. The crown of the tree is umbrella-shaped.

The tree's overall gracious shape has earned it the nickname Beauty Pine. Despite its gracious form, it is a very hardy tree type, rarely plagued by pests and the likes, and grows to a ripe old age of 400 years or so. It can also tolerate weather extremes, and, due to its elasticity, can also tolerate heavy snowstorms.

The large, currently dormant, volcano at the base of Tianchi remains potentially active - geologists classify it as a "moderately active strato-volcano", and continue to monitor it with the help of space-borne technology. Its last eruption was in 1702, while previous recent eruptions were recorded in 1668 and 1597, all three eruptions occurring within a relatively short time span, in terms of the geological clock.