Red Leaf Valley, Jilin

Red Leaf Valley, located in the Changbai Mountain Range in northeast China's Jilin Province, attracts a great number of tourists in autumn. The valley, about 50 km long and 15 km wide, boasts a wide variety species of red-leaved trees and shrubs.

To popularize the area, Jiaohe City now runs an annual ‘Red Leaf Festival’ at the end of September / beginning of October. Visitors can explore the fascinating slopes of Mount Lafa, including the site of a legendary vision of the Buddha in Tadong Cave.

Also nearby is the beautiful Songhua Lake, its 700km² of water stretching for hundreds of kilometers in a series of branches through the mountains of the Songhua National Park. The lake can be explored by large or small boat, and the pleasure of the fiery colours of the mountain slopes is heightened by the absence of traffic, as there is no road that circumnavigates the lake.

Best time for visit: October

Tour agent: www.tourochina.com

(China.org.cn October 31, 2008)