gti tourism guide

7/17/2019 Gti Tourism Guide

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Contents

Introduction sectionPage 1 Introduction to the Greater Tumen Region

Highlights

Page 4 Practical Information

Guide section

Page 5 China

Page 9 HeilongjiangPage 12 JilinPage 15 iaoningPage 1! Inner "ongolia

Page 19 "ongolia

Page 2# $hentiiPage 25 %&'h(aatarPage 2! )ornodPage #* +laan ,aatar

Page #1 R-$

Page #5 Gang.onPage #/ G0eong(u' Page 41 +lsanPage 4# ,usan

Page 45 Russia

Page 49 Primors'0 $raiPage 5# The Russian ar ast

Page 55 GTI (ordering area3 )PR$

Page 5! Rajin%on(ong

The GTIThe Greater Tumen Initiative GTI6

is an intergo7ernmental coo8erationmechanism in ortheast :sia; su88orted(0 the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme +)P6; .ith a fourcountr0 mem(ershi83 the People’sRepublic of China; Mongolia; theRepublic of orea and the Russian!ederation< Created in 1995; the GTIhas remained a uni=ue 8latform for8romoting economic coo8eration andfostering 8eace; sta(ilit0 and sustaina(lede7elo8ment in the region< The GTIser7es as a catal0st for e>8anding 8olic0dialogue among mem(er states and forstrengthening the fundamentals foreconomic gro.th< Regional coo8erationfostered (0 the GTI has 8ro7en to (e aneffecti7e .a0 to im8ro7e (asic

infrastructure; ensure energ0 securit0;(oost tourism de7elo8ment; facilitatetrade and in7estment; and 8romoteen7ironmental sustaina(ilit0 in theregion<



Introduction to the Greater Tumen RegionThe Tumen River starts its life over "#$$$m above sea level in ma%estic Tian Chi# avolcanic crater la&e surrounded b' %agged# sno()dappled pea&s* It then proceedsnortheast on a gentle# +$$&m)long %ourne'# one that sees its fish)filled (aters pass

through three time ,ones# and brushing against three national borders beforeempt'ing into the sea*

-erein lies the international importance of the Tumen# a river (hich flo(s bet(eenChina and the orean peninsula# then brushes against Russia on its long andbeautiful course to the .ast /ea* Together (ith Mongolia# these countries have come

together to form the Greater Tumen Region# an area that is# 0uite rightl'# dra(ing inan ever)greater number of international tourists (ith each passing 'ear# each onemesmerised b' a (ide arra' of natural# historic and cultural delights*

The scale of the Greater Tumen Region is enormous ? on its o.n; this .ould (e the .orld@s 1# thlargest countr0 (0 siAe; and its 1*thlargest (0 8o8ulation< Ho.e7er; num(ers alone fail to tell the

stor0 of a land rich in histor0; (lessed .ith hea7enl0 scener0 and uni=ue animal life; (rimming.ith cultural di7ersit0; and 8rimed for ad7enture< Here lies a thrilling com(ination of the easil0accessi(le and the tantaliAingl0 remote ? tigers 8ro.l though 7irgin forest and camel trains 8lod

their lonel0 .a0 across deserted ste88e; .hile at the same time families enjo0 the sunn0 delightsof innumera(le (eaches; and cro.ds of da0tri88ers find themsel7es gathered around theremains of ageold d0nasties< Bolcanoes; sand dunes; colourful festi7als and d0nastic 8alaces ?

the Greater Tumen Region has it all<

1

our soaring 8ea'sChina Chang(ai %han; Jilin 2;!45mRussia Gora :ni'; Primors'0 $rai 1;9##mR1 )aecheong(ong; Gang.on 1;!*/mMongolia $hoh "ountain; )ornod 1;*45m

our hectic festi7alsChina Ice and %no. esti7alRussia "eridian PacificR1 PI ilm esti7alMongolia aadam

our can@tmiss dishesChina HuoguoMongolia ,uuAR1 Gal(iRussia ,orshch



HighlightsThe GTI region has a tremendous amount to offer its 7isitors; .ith a le7el of natural (eaut0;historical im8ortance; cultural di7ersit0 and a7enues for ad7enture hard to find an0.here else onearth< Here 0ou@ll find e7er0thing from deserted grasslands to thronging (eaches and ancient

remains to 8ulsating nightlife; and those .ho s8end time here .ill (e a(le to hear more than adoAen languages; and sam8le innumera(le st0les of local cuisine<

2andscape :s 0ou@d e>8ect in an area of such siAe; a.hole host of natural .onders are on sho.across the GTI region< )ense forests of 8ineand (irch ri88le their .a0 u8 to s'0scra8ingmountain ranges; .hose largest 8ea's ?some of .hich are volcanic in nature ?e>ceed "#$$$m in height; and ma'e.onderful hi'ing territor0< Bisitors can thendro8 do.n along cr'stal)clear rivers filled.ith salmon; (08assing soaring; al8ine

valle's and e>8ansi7e (etlands on the .a0(efore arri7ing at a cragg0 coastline indented.ith 8ristine beaches< urther inland are7ast regions of grassland and steppe; andthe scru( and sanddunes of .ide desertlands< : (eaut0; then; hard to matchan0.here else on earth; and one that8ro7ides an ideal com(ination of easil0accessi(le and jo0ousl0 remote<

-istor')igging into the region .ill re7eal la0er afterla0er of historical remains; some of .hichdate (ac' thousands of 0ears to the da0s of.orldfamous d0nasties and 'ingdoms< achof the GTI countries has its o.n delights tooffer ? the Chinese northeast is studded .ithd'nastic ruins; including a sum8tuousimperial palace the R-$ (oasts ageoldo(ser7atories and aristocratic abodes fromits o.n d0nastic da0s; as .ell as the uni=uehillli'e burial mounds of ancient 'ings and=ueens "ongolia features traces of the da0sof Chinggis han; a nati7e of $hentii8ro7ince .hile Primors'0 $rai (oastse7er0thing from Paleolithic relics tobaro0ue architecture< :ll in all; the GTIregion is a 7erita(le treasuretro7e of histor0;a sur8rising amount of .hich has (een

(rought lo7ingl0 into the modern da0 though.orldclass museums and restoration .or'<

2



!lora and faunaThe GTI region is home to an incredi(l0 di7erse arra0 of plant andanimal life; including a num(er of s8ecies found no.here else onearth< Deighing in at o7er #**'g; the largest e>am8le is the /iberiantiger; .hich still 8ro.ls the .ild forests of Russia@s Primors'0 $rai<Part of the tigers@ diet is the 3sian blac& bear; a gorgeous animalalso found in northeastern China; and recentl0 reintroduced to the

southern mountains of the R-$< The "ongolian 8lains are home tohuge herds of ga,elle and lonel0 floc's of camels; as .ell as theendangered Pr,e(als&i’s horse; .hile o7er this .hole area s.oo8migrator' birds such as geese; cranes and s.ans< The area@s hillsand mountains are car8etted .ith s.athes of dar' (oodland ?mainl0 8ine; (ut (irch and fir trees also feature ? .hile (ildflo(ersdot colour across fields and cities ali'e each s8ring<

Culture Bisitors luc'0 enough to ta'e a multidestination tri8 are often lefts8ell(ound (0 the ethnic diversit' of the GTI region< The (ul' of the8o8ulation are $orean; "ongolian; Russian or Han Chinese; (ut thoseon longer tours ma0 get to meet +'ranians; Tatars; "anchu; )aur;,ur0at; 7en'; or other ethnic minorities; hear their language andenjo0 their uni=ue food and customs< In addition; a histor0 of cross)

border trade has created interesting nuances across the area< ore>am8le; northeastern China has a sur8risingl0 large num(er ofRussian (uildings; as .ell as s8ecial regions for ethnic "ongolians and$oreans; .hile Chinese influences linger on in the language; customsand cuisine of $orea< Religious influence is also 'eenl0 felt across theregion; resulting in an arra0 of 1rthodo4 churches; 5uddhisttemples and Confucian academies; .hile festivals such as"ongolia@s aadam; $orea@s )ano; Chinese e. Eear and Russianaster see the GTI countries (ursting .ith colour<

3dventure :d7enturous souls .ill surel0 enjo0 their sta0 in the GTI region; such isthe (readth of 8otential acti7ities on offer< "uch of the region ismountainous; ma'ing for su8er( hi&ing ? tourists can o8t for sim8le;(ut still (eautiful; clim(s around %eora'san or Chang(ai %han; or a

.ilder tri8 through %i'hote:lin or the 8ea's of )ornod< Hi'ing can (ehard going come .intertime; (ut this is .hen resorts in Heilongjiangand Gang.on come ali7e; offering u8 .inter s8orts such as s&iing andsno(boarding< In .armer months; the "ongolian 8lains are ideal forhorse)riding ; Primors'0 $rai offers a multitude of 'a0a'ing courses;.hile there@s good scuba diving and surfing off the $orean coast<,asicall0; .hate7er the time of 0ear; intre8id tra7ellers ha7e no e>cuseto (e (ored<

CuisineThe GTI region offers an astonishing range of mouth.atering cuisine;.ith highl0 distinct schools of coo'ing in each mem(er countr0<Chinese meals can (e almost (an=uetli'e in st0le; the ta(les co7ered.ith a rich arra0 of sauc0 meat and 7egeta(le dishes; sometimes =uites8ic0; and usuall0 ser7ed .ith rice< orean meals can (e just as rich

in 7ariet0; though the0 are usuall0 e7en s8icier; and .ith more of anem8hasis on seafood< In Mongolia; mutton is the main meat; and isser7ed in e7er0 manner 8ossi(le ? inside dum8lings; on to8 of friednoodles; or .ith rice< Russian meals are usuall0 centred around meatand 7egeta(les; and there are some e>cellent sou8s and 8anca'edishes< %ee the national cha8ter introductions for some sam8le dishes<

#



Practical information

6hen to go,ecause of the sheer siAe of the GTI region ?

.ell o7er F**'m from east to .est ?temperatures and (eather patterns 7ar0greatl0 from 8lace to 8lace< "ost of the regionsees tem8eratures di8 (elo. Aero during the.inter; then to88ing #*oC in the summer; (ut

(eaches and s'i resorts mean that there@s ne7era (ad time to 7isit< Tem8erature charts ha7e(een gi7en in each regional introduction; and asam8le of .onderful festivals ha7e (eenincluded at the start of each national cha8ter<

7isasIt is im8ortant for 7isitors to 'no. that tourist7isas must (e arranged in advance for mostGTI countries ? a tour of the region .ill sim8l0not (e 8ossi(le .ithout a little 8rior 8lanning<%8ecific visa re0uirements for each countr0

ha7e (een gi7en in the national introductions;(ut for citiAens of most countries 7isas for theR-$ are the sim8lest to o(tain and are usuall0a7aila(le on arri7al6; follo.ed (0 China;"ongolia and Russia< or an inde8th loo' at7isa re=uirements; find the com8rehensi7e 7isa

/tud' on ...<tumen8rogramme<org<

Getting aroundPublic transport 7aries greatl0 across the GTIregion; largel0 than's to great differences in the

countries@ siAe and 8o8ulation densit0 ? the R-$and China; for e>am8le; ha7e highs8eed trains(oasting s8eeds of o7er #**'mh; .hile thereare 8recious fe. 8a7ed roads at all in eastern

"ongolia< %8ecific details are gi7en in thenational introductions; as are recommended

tour agencies .hich sometimes form the (est.a0 of getting around< There are internationalflights (et.een man0 GTR cities details ofinternational air8orts ha7e (een mar'ed on themain GTI ma8; as ha7e international bordercrossings<

4

International hu( air8orts near the GTI

regionChina ,eijing

Mongolia +laan ,aatarR1 %eoulIncheon; )aegu

International air8orts in the GTI regionChina )alian; %hen0ang; Changchun; Har(in; Hohhot; Eanji

R-$ ,usanRussia Bladi7osto'

-nline information for GTI countriesChina ...<cnto<orgMongolia ...<mongoliatourism<go7<mnR1 ...<7isit'orea<or<'r

Russia tourism<minstm<go7<ru



China中国

China is the (orld’s most populous countr'# and also one of its most fascinating* Its

ancient remains and stunning natural beaut' have been roping in tourists forcenturies8 add in tremendous food and friendl' locals# and 'ou have the recipe for aperfect holida' destination*

The Chinese GTI area co7ers the countr0@s northeastern 8ro7inces of Heilongjiang; Jilin; iaoningand Inner "ongolia< The scale of this region is =uite colossal3 on its o.n; it .ould (e the [email protected] countr0 (0 area; and its tenthlargest (0 8o8ulation< Geogra8hicall0; this lies at

the 7er0 heart of the .hole GTI region; and the international air that this has fostered is e7identin an arra0 of fresh; cosmo8olitan cities; as .ell as a .orldclass tra7el infrastructure that e>tendsto all neigh(ouring countries< This is a region of stu8endous natural (eaut0; (oasting 7ast tractsof 8anca'eflat grassland; s.athes of uns8oilt forest; and la'efilled 7olcanoes frosted .ith sno.< :cti7ities on offer include s'iing; (ird.atching and mountain clim(ing; .hile .ondrous festi7alsta'e 8lace throughout the 0ear<

:ttend Har(in@s magical sno. festi7al; Heilongjiang 8<1*6 Hi'e the Tiger "ountain Great Dall; iaoning 8<1F6

GaAe into Chang(ai %han@s cr0stalclear la'e; Jilin 8<146 Ta'e a grassland tour; Inner "ongolia 8<1/6

5



Getting to 'no. China

)0nastic treasures"an0 of China@s most tantaliAing tourist sightsdate from its long and rich d'nastic past ?

,eijing@s Great Dall; or(idden Cit0 and %ummerPalace are just three .orldfamous e>am8les<Ho.e7er; those .ho dig a little dee8er into theGTI region .ill find that it; too; is choc'full ofsuch treasures<

The aforementioned or(idden Cit0 .as home toa succession of Ming and 9ing d0nast0

em8erors< The last of these; Pu0i; .as turfed

out in 1912; (ringing an end to o7er 2*** 0erasof im8erial rule< Ho.e7er; he resurfaced in 191!as the ruler of the Ja8anese 8u88et 'ingdom of"anchu'uo ? his :Puppet Palace; still standstoda0 in the Jilin ca8ital of Changchun 8<1#6<

The "anchu themsel7es also had an ImperialPalace; this one located in the 8resentda0iaoning ca8ital of %hen0ang 8<1F6< To thesecan (e added a range of artefacts around Ji@an8<146 in Jilin 8ro7ince; .hich actuall0 came

from a $orean d0nast0 ? the Gogur'eo<

"inorit0 grou8sDhile Han Chinese ma'e u8 the 7ast majorit0 ofChina@s 8o8ulation ? around 92 the countr0has no fe.er than 5F official ethnic groups;creating a cultural di7ersit0 hard to findan0.here else on earth<

The GTI regions are no different ? all ha7e large

num(ers of Mongol and Manchu; .hile Jilinalso has a large orean 8o8ulation; and grou8s

of Russians can (e found along the (orderarea<

F

/ minorit0 ethnic grou8sin GTI China

Daur 8o8ulation 1#2;***6.ven& #*;***6-ui 9;/**;***6

orean 1;9**;***6Manchu 1*;!**;***6

Mongol 5;/**;***6Russian 1F;***6

<ibe 1/5;***6

China@s 4 final d0nasties/ong D'nast' 9F*12!96

=uan D'nast' 12!11#F/6Ming D'nast' 1#F/1F4469ing D'nast' 1F4419116



Dintertime fun%uch is China@s siAe that the countr0 can (ee>8eriencing all four seasons at a single 8ointin time< The four GTI regions of Heilongjiang;Jilin; iaoning and Inner "ongolia are located in

the northeast of the countr0; .hich seestem8eratures 8lummet .ell (elo. freeAingduring colder months ? amaAingl0; a glut of(intertime activities means that man07isitors find this the (est time to go<

The northeast has se7eral nota(le festi7als each

.inter< The largest is the /no( and Ice!estival; a monthlong e7ent .hich ta'es 8laceeach Januar0 in the Heilongjiang ca8ital of-arbin 8<1*6; featuring a sim8l0 incredi(learra0 of ice scul8tures< "uch the same can (eseen a month earlier in Changchun 8<1#6;

ca8ital of Jilin 8ro7ince< or those .ho 8referacti7e to 8assi7e 8ursuits; there are a cou8le ofmajor s&i resorts to choose from ? Ea(uli inHeilongjiang 8<116; and ,eidahu in Jilin 8<1#6<

The Trans)ong(eiRussia@s Trans%i(erian rail route is justl0 famous8<4!6; .hile those see'ing to ta'e a multidestination tri8 including Russia and China canma'e use of the Trans)Manchurian s8ur;.hich heads directl0 from "osco. to ,eijing;

cutting through northeastern China on the .a0<

Ho.e7er; the astonishing recent 8rogress ofChinese rail.a0s mean that there@s another .a0to tour the northeast of the countr0 ? theTrans)Dongbei line; a high)speed route.hich ro8es the GTI 8ro7inces of iaoning

8<156; Jilin 8<126 and Heilongjiang 8<96 to theChinese ca8ital< %lee'; modern trains Aoom ats8eeds of u8 to #** 'mh (et.een ,eijing andHar(in; cutting do.n to just / hours a journe0that once too' dou(le that<

!

4 Trans)ong(ei sto8s5ei%ing start6

/hen'ang 4 hours6Changchun F hours6

-arbin / hours6



Tra7el logistics

Getting thereInternational air8orts ,eijing hu(6; Changchun; )alian; Har(in; Hohhot;%hen0ang; Eanjirom "ongolia There are flights from +laan ,aatar to ,eijing; Hohhotand Hailar; and trains from +laan ,aatar to ,eijing and Hohhot< Thereare t.o main (order crossings<rom the R-$ There are flights from %eoulIncheon to all air8orts listeda(o7e; and from ,usan to %hen0ang< There are also ferries fromIncheon; near %eoul; to )alian and )andong<rom Russia There are flights from Bladi7osto' to ,eijing and Har(in;and trains to Har(in; as .ell as se7eral (order crossings<

Dhen to goThe Chinese northeast is a huge area .ith a .ide 7ariet0 of climates;(ut in general; it@s ad7isa(le to 7isit in spring :8ril and "a06 andautumn %e8tem(er and -cto(er6; to a7oid the e>treme tem8eratures

of summer and .inter; and the occasionall0 hea70 rains of Jul0 and :ugust< The e>ce8tions to this are the (reeA0 iaoning coast 8<1F6;.hich is at its 8rime during summer Chang(ai %han 8<146; .hich ismost accessi(le .hen the .eather is .arm and the s'i resorts ofHeilongjiang 8<116; at their (est in the .inter< Januar0 also sees thefantastic /no( and Ice festival in Har(in 8<1*6; .hile thetraditionall0 "ongolian Naadam festival ta'es 8lace each Jul0 inHohhot 8<1/6<

Bisas :lmost e7er0(od0 .ill need a visa to enter China nota(le e>ce8tionsinclude citiAens of Russia and certain former CI% nations; .ho ma0enter .ithout a 7isa as 8art of a group tour< Bisas are fairl0 sim8le too(tain; and should (e o(tained 8rior to tra7el at a Chinese em(ass0 orconsulate; or a tra7el agenc0<

Getting aroundThe train is usuall0 the .a0 to go in China ? journe0s are regular;8unctual and safe; .hile comforta(le slee8er (erths are a7aila(le forthose on longdistance tri8s< Tic'ets can (e hard to get at short notice;(ut hotels and tra7el agents can usuall0 ma'e ad7ance (oo'ings for asmall fee< There are also an arra0 of internal flights; connecting most8laces listed in this cha8ter again; it@s (est to (oo' ahead through atra7el agent<

:ccommodationChina has an e>cellent range of afforda(le accommodation ? all majorcities listed here .ill ha7e o8tions ranging from budget guesthousesto five)star hotels< Ho.e7er; since there aren@t al.a0s a great num(erof o8tions at the higher end of the scale; it ma0 (e ad7isa(le to (oo'ahead<

/

ood and drin' huoguo

hot8ot; 8o8ular in Inner "ongoliagong(ao jidingchic'en cu(es fried .ith 8eanuts; sauce and

7egeta(les

tie(an =ieAi8anfried egg8lant

chun (ing.ra8s of meat and 7egeta(les; a northeast

s8ecialt08ijiu

(eer; man0 local 7arieties a7aila(lemolihua cha

jasmine tea

Chinese em(assies andconsulates"ongolia+laan ,aatar

R-$ %eoul; ,usan; G.angju

Russia"osco.; $ha(aro7s'; Bladi7osto'; %t<

Peters(urg

esti7als%no. and Ice esti7al; Jan

Dinter fun in Har(inChinese e. Eear; Jane(ire.or's e>8lode across the nationaadam; Jul

esti7al of "ongolian culture in HohhotlInternational ,eer esti7al; Jul

%am8ing international (re.s in )alian

Chinese (asics-elloni hao 你好

Goodb'eAai jian 再见

Than& 'ou>ie >ie谢谢

/orr'

dui(u=i 对不起

-o( much>duoshao =ian 多少钱？

Cheers

gan(ei 干杯

It’s delicioushao chi 好吃

Can 'ou spea& .nglish>ni hui shuo 0ing0u ma 你会说英语吗？

%tatisticsPopulation 1<# (illion

Population of GTR 1#2 million 3rea 9<F million 'm2

3rea of GTR 1<4 million 'm2

Capital cit' ,eijing 北京6

Currenc' Chinese Renmin(i R",6

China onlineNational tourist board

...<cnto<orgRail information

...<chinamor<go7<cn



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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Heilongjiang 江

...<hlj<go7<cn CH

CH:TIG:$%

D-R)C:%%%$IIG

-R:T,+I)IG%

B-C:IC

CR:TR%6elcome to China’s remote north# a beguiling land that feels (orlds a(a' from therest of the countr'* /iberian forests race across the Russian border# dotted here andthere b' a tran0uil la&e or sleeping volcano*

%i(erian .inds see tem8eratures 8lummet (elo. #*oC in the froAen .inter; 0et ironicall0 this is.hen the 8ro7ince comes ali7e ? Heilongjiang nati7es are most 8roud of the 8henomenal Ice and%no. esti7al that ta'es 8lace in Har(in; though Ea(uli to the east is of more interest to

ad7enturous tra7ellers; since it offers (0 far the (est s'iing in China<

Those .ith a lo7e of the great outdoors .ill also (e in their element during .armer months; .itha range of nature reser7es 8rotecting Heilongjiang@s uni=ue .ildlife< The halong reser7e; fore>am8le; shelters s8ecies of crane found no.here else on earth< Indeed; China@s northernmost

8ro7ince is e7er0 (it as dar' and m0sterious as the literal translation of its name ? K,lac' )ragonRi7erL<

:BR:G T"PR:T+R%3 H:R,I

9

%iAe Po8ulation4F* thousand 'm2 #/ million



Har(in哈尔滨-arbin is a treat for the e'es* Its streets remain dotted(ith fantastic e4amples of Russian architecture such asonion)domed cathedrals# pastel)coloured facades and

tree)lined boulevards# (hich ma&e a pleasing contrast(ith the energ' and neon of modern China*

The cit0@s lin's .ith Russia go (ac' to the end of the 19 th

centur0; at .hich time Har(in .as little more than a ri7ersidefishing 7illage< Ho.e7er; increasing trade led to thecosmopolitan cit0 that .e see toda0 ? just one factor (ehindits 8lanned (id for the "$"" 6inter 1l'mpics; ha7ingsuccessfull0 hosted the Dinter :sian Games in 199F<

Tem8eratures go far (elo. freeAing in the .inter; (ut this isactuall0 the (est time to 7isit ? Har(in comes ali7e .iththousands of tourists here to join locals for the InternationalIce and /no( /culpture !estival; .hen the cit0 is filledastonishingl0 ela(orate scul8tures; all made from ice or sno.<-ne of the most fre=uent installations is a large -rthodo>

cathedral; highl0 detailed and entirel0 made out of car7ed ice<

Russian architectureThan's to its long histor0 of trade .ith eastern Russia; Har(in has some of themost distincti7e architecture in China< The most (eautiful e>am8le is the-rthodo> Cathedral of /t* /ofia; a ros0coloured (uilding .ith green oniondomes< This no. contains a 8hotogra8hic e>hi(ition chronicling Har(in@sremar'a(le transformation from fishing 7illage to cosmo8olitan centre of tradeand industr0< ear(0; the 8edestrianised road of ?hong'ang Da%ie has (een(eautifull0 reno7ated in 7arious uro8ean st0les; from ,aro=ue to ,0Aantine< Thisis also the (est 8lace to find Russian (a'eries and restaurants< : little to theeast; there are a cou8le of (eautiful ? 0et still functional ? churches onDongda,hi @ie<

Har(in International Ice and %no. %cul8ture esti7alIn Januar0; there are fe. (etter 8laces to (e in the .hole of China than ?haolinPar& ; in the centre of Har(in ? =uite sur8rising; since the tem8erature .illalmost certainl0 (e under 1*oC; and occasionall0 as lo. as #5oC< Ho.e7er; thisfreeAing .eather is necessar0 for the maintenance of the fair'tale)li&esculptures that ma'e u8 one of China@s most famous festi7als; .hich runs each0ear from Januar0 5 to e(ruar0 5< This is often e>tended (0 a fe. da0s oneither side< The organisers create fascinating ne. designs e7er0 0ear ? touristsma0 find themsel7es gaAing in admiration at a ,uddhist tem8le; a Romanst0lefrieAe or a colossal; .inding dragon; all entirel0 made from scul8ted ice< :crossthe %onghua ri7er ? itself froAen; of course; and safe to .al' across ? there arefurther .or's to (e seen on Tai'ang Island; this time made from sno.< :t theend of the e7ent; tourists are encouraged to destro0 the e>hi(itions .ith handa>es<

Tiger Par' : little to the north of Tai0ang Island; this small 8ar' functions as a (reedingcentre for the endangered /iberian tiger; one of the most uni=ue s8ecies in theGTI region; and still li7ing in the .ild in Russia@s Primors'0 $rai 8<496<

1*

Tra7el informationTrains

Changchun 2hr%hen0ang 4hr

,eijing /hr)alian 9hr

Bladi7osto' 12hrlights include<<<

,eijingChangchun

)alian%hen0ang

Bladi7osto'

De(site...<har(in<go7<cnCH G R+% $-R

CultureHistor0



halong ature Reser7e扎龙!"#$This statele7el (etland reserve is famed for its huge num(ersof migrating (irds< Close to the Heilongjiang cit0 of Mi=ihar; it lieson the 8rime migrator0 8ath (et.een %i(eria and %outheast

:sia; and is home to astonishing num(ers of stor's; herons;s.ans and other (irds< The most reno.ned 7isitor; ho.e7er; is

the crane ? the halong reser7e 8ro7ides a migrator0 home forse7eral su(s8ecies of this (ird; .hich is feted in China as as0m(ol of longe7it0< The months of :8ril to -cto(er are (est for7isiting the reser7e; .ith the greatest num(er of (irds coming in"a0 and June<

Ea(uli %'i Resort%&'()中*"ost Chinese regard Ea(uli as the countr0@s 8rime s8ot fors&iing< The largest such facilit0 in the countr0; it .as used themain 7enue for the 3sian 6inter Games in 199F; .hen Har(in

(ecame the first Chinese cit0 to host the e7ent; and hosted theDinter +ni7ersiade; a major student e7ent; in 2**9< :nd there@smore on the horiAon ? Ea(uli ma0 (ecome the centre ofinternational attention if Har(in 8<1*6 is successful .ith its (idfor the 6inter 1l'mpics in 2*22< Tourist infrastructure hasim8ro7ed in recent 0ears; .ith se7eral ne. hotels and lodges

(eing (uilt (efore the Dinter +ni7ersiade; at the same time asthe site .as ma'ing major u8grades on s'iiing facilities<

"udangjian+,江0ing almost half.a0 (et.een Har(in and Bladi7osto'; this small

cit0 can (e used as a (ase for some interesting near(0 sights ?8articularl0 useful for those ta'ing a multidestination tri8including )ong(ei and Primors'0 $rai 8<496< %ights include@ingpo -u; a gorgeous la'e; and the near(0 Underground!orest; a 7olcanic reser7e; (oth of .hich can (e seen in asingle da0tri8<

Jing8o Hu"eaning NMirror 2a&e@ in nglish; this (od0 of .ater gets its name for thecr0stalclear reflections of surrounding forest afforded (0 it@s calm surface< It@s8ossi(le to tour the la'e (0 ro.(oat; ferr0 or s8eed(oat; and 7er0 tem8ting to

sta0 the night ? no 8ro(lem; since accommodation facilities are numerous<

+nderground orest)es8ite its name; this 8ine forest is not actuall0 underground< Rather; it islocated inside a num(er of volcanic craters; lending a dramatic air to the.onderful hi&ing routes that crisscross the area<

11

Tra7el informationhalong ature Reser7e is less than an

hour (0 ta4i from Mi=ihar; a cit0accessi(le on direct trains from most of

northeastern China; including ,eijingand all major Chinese cities in the GTI

region< There are also infre=uent buses

running from Mi=ihar to the resort<

Tra7el information%ome o8erators in the Ea(uli area offertheir customers free transfers to the

resort from Har(in International :ir8ort<-ther.ise; the resort is accessi(le (0

bus from Har(in<


Har(in 5hr

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H-E "-+T:I%

C--I:

P::C%

)E:%TICT-",%

T+",IGD:TR:%

Jilin-.

...<jl<go7<cn CH

@ilin lies at the ver' heart of the Greater Tumen region* 1ver "#$$$m above sea level#the mesmerising# deep)blue (aters of Tian Chi A the :-eavenl' 2a&e; A sit at the ver'summit of this glorious province# and eventuall' find their (a' into the Tumen# a

river (hich separates China from the orean peninsula*

Jilin@s connections .ith $orea stretch (ac' thousands of 0ears ? 8arts of the 8ro7ince .ere onceruled (0 the $orean 'ings of Gogur0eo; .hile e7en toda0 0ou ma0 find $orean te>t; food andfaces in the mountainous (order area; 8articularl0 in Ean(ian; a $orean :utonomous Prefecture<The Hea7enl0 a'e itself is surrounded (0 the Chang(ai %han; a loft0 mountain range .hich (estem8hasises Jilin@s immense natural a88eal< Ho.e7er; the .onders of modern China are also in

e7idence; 8articularl0 at the Im8erial Palace of its major cit0; Changchun; formerl0 ca8ital of the8u88et state of "anchu'uo<

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%iAe Po8ulation1/! thousand 'm2 2! million



Changchun/0Golden treasure# statel' surroundings# and do,ens ofrichl' decorated (ooden buildings once home to anemperor A not 5ei%ing’s !orbidden Cit'# but the Palace of

the Puppet .mperor in Changchun* This spellbindingcomple4 brings histor' to life# and ma&es Changchun

(ell (orth a visit for those travelling the Chinesenortheast* rom 19#2 to 1945; and then 'no.n as NHsin'ing@; this .as theca8ital of Manchu&uo; a 8u88et state under the control of them8ire of Ja8an< -ccasional remnants of colonial architecturecan still (e seen throughout Changchun; .hile also of note is

6enhua /0uare; a colossal e>8anse similar in siAe toTiananmen in ,eijing; and one of the largest cit0 s=uares in the.orld ? this .as; in fact; the area originall0 earmar'ed for theIm8erial Palace; (ut "anchu'uo fell (efore the constructioncould start on the regal (uildings<

Palace of the Pu88et m8eror...<.mhg<com<cn CH G J:P

Changchun@s 8rett0 8alace is a sort of !orbidden Cit' in miniature< Dhileneither as large or as o8ulent as its counter8art in ,eijing; the com8le> has (een(eautifull0 restored; e7o'ing images of its im8erial he0da0< In 19#2; this (ecamethe regal a(ode of Pu'i; China@s final d0nastic ruler< Placed on the throne at theage of eight on the orders of )o.ager Ci>i; his tale .as told in NThe astm8eror@; ,ernardo ,ertolucci@s cinematic master8iece; and .inner of nine 3cadem' 3(ards in 19/!<

Jilin-.

Jilin cit0 is s8lit in t.o (0 the /onghua river; .hose ne.l08rettified (an's are great for .al'ing< There are also a fe. 8ar'sin and around the cit0 centre; of .hich 5eishan is the mostattracti7e< : cou8le of major attractions ha7e 8ut this cit0 on thetra7el ma8; es8eciall0 during the .intertime< -ne of China@slargest s&i resorts lies near(0; .hile the enchanting la'e of

/onghua -u is .orth a 7isit at an0 time of 0ear<

%onghua Hu%urrounded (0 7erdant hills; this large and 7er0 dee8 la&e is the highlight of atri8 to Jilin cit0< %ome locals claim that a dragon li7es in the de8ths; (ut most7isits here are rather 8eaceful; and the la'e is so .ide that it@s 8ossi(le to get asense of 8eace and =uiet here at an0 time of the 0ear< It@s around 2*'m fromJilin; and (est 7isited (0 ta>i<

,eidahu %'i ResortThis is the most lu>urious of the s&i resorts surrounding Jilin cit0< It lies 5*'mto the southeast; and is (est accessed (0 ta>i< Rental e=ui8ment and class0accommodation are a7aila(le at the resort; and chairlifts are on hand to .his'7isitors to the to8 of the man0 slo8es<

1#


Har(in 2hr%hen0ang 2hr

,eijing Fhr)alian /hr

lights include<<<,eijing)alian

%hen0ang%eoul

De(site...<changchun<go7<cnCH G R+% $-R J:P


Changchun 2hr%hen0ang 5hr

,eijing 12hr)alian 1#hr

lights include<<<,eijing)alian

De(site...<jlcit0<go7<cn

CH

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CultureHistor0

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Chang(ai %han/12Imagine a la&e of perfect blue# surrounded on all sidesb' ra,or)sharp mountain pea&s A straddling theChineseBDPR border# this dormant volcano is one of the

undoubted travel highlights of the GTI region*Toothli'e 8ea's AigAag their .a0 around the sno.da88led

7olcanic cone; .hich reaches a ma>imum height of "#ma(o7e sea le7el ? this ma'es it the highest 8oint of land on the$orean 8eninsula; .here it@s 'no.n as ,ae'dusan 백두산6<

Dithin the caldera lies Tian Chi 2a&e; .hich is said to ha7e a de8th of o7er#!*m ? 8erha8s the dee8est in China< %ome sa0 that the la'e is home to amonster; (ut more certain is the fact that the Chang(ai %han area does indeedcontain a tremendousl0 rich 7ariet0 of flora and fauna; including (ears and%i(erian tigers ? for this reason; the mountain range .as 8rotected as a nationalnatural reserve as far (ac' as 19F*< -ne esca8e outlet for the la'e .ater hasgi7en rise to the stunning Changbai 6aterfall; a sil7er0 ri((on .hich8lummets F/m do.n and ends in a deafening roar< ess than a 'ilometre a.a0 is

the Changbai -ot /pring; .hose natural .aters are hot enough to (oil an egg<

Ji@an34It ma0 come as a sur8rise for .estern 7isitors to find that thissmall; unassuming (order cit0 contains relics from the time of

Julius Caesar< Ji@an .as once the ca8ital of the ingdom ofGogur'eo; one com8onent of the famed Three $ingdoms thatonce ruled the $orean 8eninsula; as .ell as 8arts of modernda0China<

$no.n in $orean as Gungnae 국내 6; Ji@an first (ecame ca8ital in #:); and

remained as the Gogur0eo seat of 8o.er for o7er four hundred 0ears; until the'ings mo7ed south to P0ong0ang in 42! :)< :lthough man0 centuries ha7e8assed since the 'ings of Gogur0eo ? 'no.n as Gaogouli 5676 in Chinese ?

used Ji@an as their (ase; a sur8rising num(er of relics remain< "an0 of these areregal tombs3 $orean ro0alt0 .ere once (uried in large; earthen mounds; .hichin the Gogur0eo 'ingdom .ere often surrounded (0 ela(orate scul8tuar0 andintricatel0 car7ed frescoes< The $orean connection is still in e7idence toda0 ?some hotels and restaurants ha7e 7ie.s across the Ealu ri7er into the DPR <

Hunchun80The small cit0 of Hunchun lies in a fortunate 8osition; on the(orders of China; Russia and the )PR$< It is no. esta(lished as

a 'e0 8oint of trade; tourism and cultural e4change; .ithlin's to (oth Bladi7osto' 8<5*6 and the Rajin%on(ong Aone8<5!6< or the (est 7ie. of the (order area; tourists shouldhead u8 to the small 8ea's of the anchuan ational %cener0one; .hich afford 7ie.s of all three countries; and are home toa .ide range of flora and fauna<

14

Tra7el information"ost 8eo8le come to Chang(ai %han

as 8art of a tour; .hich can (eorganised =uite easil0 in Changchun;

Jilin; or e7en ,eijing< !lights tonear(0 Eanji include ,eijing;

%hen0ang and %eoul<

Tra7el information"ost tra7ellers come to Ji@an as 8art

of a tour group< The cit0 is easil0accessi(le from Tonghua; .hich is

ser7ed (0 train from across theChinese northeast; and there are busconnections to other cities across the

Chinese GTI region<

Tra7el informationHunchun has bus connections toother cities .ithin Jilin 8ro7ince<

CultureHistor0

Culture

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iaoning9:

...<ln<go7<cn CH

I"PRI:P::C%

"+TIC+T+R:CITI%

,-R)R HI$%

%+PR,,:CH%

China’s famed Great 6all finall' comes to an end in 2iaoning# but this province alsoheralds a ne( beginning A this is the gate(a' to the Chinese northeast# a thrilling

mish)mash of the countr'’s past and present*

o.here is this more in e7idence than %hen0ang; ca8ital of the 8ro7ince and; effecti7el0; the.hole )ong(ei region< This for.ardloo'ing cit0 is the fifth largest in the land; 0et manages toretain tantaliAing glim8ses of its 8ast; most nota(l0 its o.n Mingd0nast0 miniature 7ersion of,eijing@s or(idden Cit0<

Then there@s )alian; a cosmo8olitan hu( of trade; trans8ort and culture .hose 8rime location has

made it one of the most im8ortant cities in the Greater Tumen region< :gain; 8rogress comes.ith a gentle edge; since the cit0 (oasts delightful uro8eanst0le architecture; augmented (0

the assortment of (eaches .hich sit tantaliAingl0 just outside the cit0 limits<

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%iAe Po8ulation14F thousand 'm2 4# million



%hen0ang;<The ! million residents of %hen0ang ha7e e7er0 reason to (e8roud of their cit0< ot onl0 is it the ca8ital of iaoning 8ro7ince;(ut its siAe and industrial facilities mar' it out as the centre of

trade and transport for the )ong(ei region< In addition; it(oasts an Imperial Palace ? the onl0 one in the countr0; aside

from ,eijing@s or(idden Cit0<

The 8alace is a miniature 7ersion of its counter8art in ,eijing; (ut than's to therelati7el0 lo.er num(er of tourists; it 8erha8s (etter e7o'es the atmos8here ofits Ming he0da0< Construction of the com8le> started in 1F2F; shortl0 after%hen0ang .as declared ca8ital of the Manchu empire (0 its leader; urhaci<Ten 0ears later; urhaci@s son Huang Taiji founded the Ming em8ire; .hich .as to(e China@s last d0nast0< The tombs of these t.o leaders are also .orth 7isiting<

)alian=>

)alian is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in China; largel0than's to its long histor0 of trade .ith neigh(ouring nations< Itsstrategic 8osition at the end of a long 8eninsula attractedinterest from Ja8an and Russia; (oth of .hom too' control ofthe cit0 around the turn of the 2*th centur0<

Toda0; it@s 8ossi(le to see s8ecimens of Russian and Ja8anese architecture; .hile)alian@s continued international trade connections sa. the o8ening of China@sfirst %8ecial conomic one in 19/4< Industr0 goes hand in hand .ith tourist8otential; since )alian@s green s8aces and hill0 streets ma'e it ideal for.andering; .hile a collection of su8er( beaches lie just outside the ur(an area<In midJul0; the cit0 also stages the Dalian International 5eer !estival; at.o.ee'long e7ent at .hich 7isitors can sam8le a range of Chinese andinternational (eers<

)andong,?)andong is an acti7e border cit'; sitting just across the Ealuri7er from %inuiju in the DPR < %ome of the cit0@s mainattractions; in fact; relate to its neigh(our across the ri7er; acountr0 often difficult to access for man0 foreign nationals<

"an0 of these are sur8rised to see the amount of international trade 8ouringacross the (order; most 7isi(l0 along the /ino)orean !riendship 5ridge;.hich carries (oth road and rail traffic< Tourists .anting to inch e7en closer to%inuiju are also a(le to ta'e short boat trips along the ri7er< urther u8stream is)andong@s foremost attraction; the Tiger Mountain Great 6all< This section

.as (uilt diring the "ing d0nast0; and at times comes e>tremel0 close to themodernda0 international (order< :s in central )andong; (oat tri8s on the ri7erare a7aila(le here<

1F


Changchun 2hrHar(in 4hr,eijing 4hr)alian 4hr

lights include<<<,eijing

)alianHar(inHohhot

Eanji%eoul,usan

De(site...<shen0ang<go7<cn

CH G $-R J:P


%hen0ang 4hr

Changchun /hrHar(in 9hr

,eijing 1*hrlights include<<<

,eijing,usanerries

Incheon

De(site...<dl<go7<cn

CH G $-R R+% J:P %P


%hen0ang 4hrChangchun 9hr

)alian 1*hr,eijing 14hr

P0ong0ang 14hrlights include<<<

,eijing%hanghai

erriesIncheon

De(site...<dandong<go7<cn

CH G

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Inner "ongolia@AB

...<nmg<go7<cn CH

)%%GR:%%:)%

:CITT"P%

"-G-I:C+T+R

+%P-IT

:T+R

/(athes of rolling grassland stretching as far as the e'e can see# hunters on

horsebac&# the felt)lined tents of nomadic herders*** parts of this province havechanged little in centuries# ma&ing it one of the most compelling that China has tooffer*

It@s also one of the largest and most s8arsel0 8o8ulated ? at .ell o7er one million s=uare'ilometres in siAe; Inner "ongolia on its o.n is larger than rance and %8ain 8ut together; 0et its8o8ulation of onl0 24 million is less than To'0o<

Tours of the aforementioned grasslands gi7e 7isitors a fascinating insight into "ongolian culture ?

thin' .restling; horse riding and (ar(e=ued lam( ? .hile Chinese elements are also on offer;such as the immaculate ,uddhist tem8les in Hohhot<

:BR:G T"PR:T+R%3 H-HH-T

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%iAe Po8ulation1<2 million 'm2 24 million



Hohhot CDEFThis cit'’s curious name translates as Eblue cit'’ inMongolian# evo&ing a past (hen residents could see littleoverhead but clear# sunn' s&ies*

:lthough no. a full0fledged cit0; re8lete .ith all the con7eniences re=uired of a8ro7incial ca8ital; Hohhot remains; as (efore; surrounded (0 7ast s.athes ofrolling 8astureland; .hich ma'es it the most 8o8ular (ase for tourists aiming togo on one of the grassland tours to traditional "ongolian settlements< Dithinthe cit0 itself; there are a num(er of (eautiful religious buildings; .hich8ro7ide tangi(le e7idence of Hohhot@s richl0 di7erse ethnic ma'eu8< "an0residents are; of course; ethnic "ongolians; .hich ma'es Hohhot a fascinating8lace to (e during the Naadam festival 8<2*6<

Tours of Hohhot@s surrounding grasslands ha7e (een a highl0 im8ortant touristdra. for man0 0ears< There are three main areas .ith facilities foraccommodating tourists ? <ilamuren; -uiteng4ile and Gegentala; each asmall 7illage located a(out 1**'m a.a0 from Hohhot< "ost tra7ellers 7isit on anorganised tour; .hich usuall0 includes accommodation in a traditionalMongolian 'urt; 7isits to the a(odes of local families; traditional entertainmentsuch as horse riding; musical 8erformances and .restling; and rounds of

delicious "ongolian food and drin' such as roast lam( and salted tea<

To the south.est of central Hohhot; and 8art of the cit0@s -ld To.n; are t.oadjacent 5uddhist lama temples< )aAhao is the larger and older of the 8air;dating from 15!9 and recentl0 redecorated .ith a 8ano8l0 of 7i7id colours; .hileon the o88osite side of the road stands OilituAhao; an im8ortant ,uddhistlamaser0< Just to the north lies the Grand Mos0ue; a structure (uilt in Mingtimes .ith (oth :ra(ic and Chinese elements<

,aotou GH

Tourists come to this industrial cit0 to see Chinggis $haan@s8ur8orted mausoleum; and the Ti(etanst0le monaster0 ofDudangAhao; (oth of .hich are easil0 accessi(le from ,aotou<

The Mausoleum of Chinggis haan is one of t.o 8laces in the GTI region toclaim the title; the other (eing in the "ongolian 8ro7ince of $hentii 8<2#6<Dhether the actual resting 8lace of the famous .arrior or not; the site ma'es a(eautiful 8lace to 7isit nonetheless; and is re7ered (0 local ethnic "ongolians<Closer to ,aotou; the 7alle0(ased monaster0 of 6udang,hao is still used as anacti7e 8lace of .orshi8; (uilt in a Ti(etan st0le in 1!49<

Hailar IJ尔Hailar@s main attraction is its 8ro>imit0 to near(0 grasslands;

and the o88ortunit0 to e>8erience traditional "ongolian culture ?see 8<21 for more information on traditional "ongolian lifest0les<

"anAhouli KLMThis 8rett0 little to.n sits aside the Russian border; and is a

sto8 for Trans)Manchurian trains< Its comforta(le atmos8here;inters8ersed .ith Russian architecture; ma'es it .orth a sto8;es8eciall0 if 0ou@re on 0our .a0 to or from Russia< The (ucolicnature of the surrounding region ? 8articularl0 the hea7enl0Dalai -u la'e ? means that those .ho s8end some time hereare sure to enjo0 filling their lungs .ith fresh air<

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,aotou 2hr,eijing 1*hr

lights include<<<,eijingHailar

"anAhouli%hen0ang

,aotou+laan ,aatar

De(site...<huhhot<go7<cn

CH "- G

Tra7el information

TrainsHohhot 2hr,eijing 12hr

lights include<<<,eijingHohhot

%hen0ang

De(site...<(aotou<go7<cn

CH "- G


Har(in 1*hr,eijing 2!hr

lights include<<<,eijingHohhot

+laan ,aatar

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Culture

Histor0


Har(in 12hr,eijing 29hr

Cultureature



"ongoliaМонгол Улс

Mongolia is one of the (orld’s most instantl' recognisable countries# largel' becauseof its (onderfull' unspoilt nature* 2ittle has changed since the da's of the great

haans A camels ma&e their lonel' (a' across (ee&s’ (orth of sand dunes# rivers ofcr'stal)clear (ater course their (a' do(n from unseen mountains# and the felt tentsof nomadic herders dot vast# panca&e)flat grasslands (hich threaten to go onforever*

The three "ongolian GTI 8ro7inces of $hentii; )ornod and %u'h(aatar fill the .hole eastern flan'of the countr0; and form an area as large as mainland Ital0< Ideall0 suited to ad7enturoustra7ellers; these 8ro7inces (oast a tremendous di7ersit0 of landsca8e; flora and fauna ? shifting

from thic' forest to flat grassland and rolling sand dunes; the land is crisscrossed (0 herds ofgaAelle; trains of camels and endangered s8ecies such as PrAe.als'i@s Horse<

ollo.ing in the footste8s of the $haans; $hentii 8<2#6 Datching gaAelle (ounce across the ste88e; %u'h(aatar 8<256

Riding horse(ac' through the forest; )ornod 8<2!6 Datching the aadam esti7al; +laan ,aatar 8<#*6

19



Getting to 'no. "ongolia

Traditional acti7ities : 7isit to "ongolia is sim8l0 not com8lete.ithout 7ie.ing one of its s8ectacular traditionalacti7ities< ocal culture em8hasises the KThree"anl0 %'illsL; namel0 archer0; horsemanshi8 and.restling ? these ha7e (een 8art of the national

fa(ric for thousands of 0ears; 0et all remain.idel0 8racticed to this da0< ,0 far the (est timeto see them is during the Naadam festival;held across the land each Jul0<

"ongolia@s lo7e of archer' stems (ac' to thetime of the Great $haans< :s a aadam s8ort;this is some.hat different to the international

norm ? it@s 8la0ed in teams; and has multi8letargets rather than a single one<

-orseriding is still as 8o8ular as 0ou@d e>8ectin a countr0 that has 14 horses for each 8ersonthe animals are raced during aadam; and man0locals learn the difficult s'ill of 8ic'ing items u8

from the floor .ithout lea7ing their mo7inghorse<

i'e.ise; (restling forms 8art of the life ofmost 0oung men< )uring com8etition; the0 don

distincti7e 8in'and(lue costumes and fightuntil one touches the floor the 7ictor then8erforms an eagleli'e dance<

"ongolian .ildlife"ongolia is one of the .orld@s most untouchedcountries ? outside +laan ,aatar; there is lessthan one 8erson 8er s=uare 'ilometre< :s 0ou@de>8ect; there@s a 7ast arra0 of .ildlife to (e seen ? camel trains ma'e their lonel0 .a0 across thedesert; ga,elle (ounce across the 8lains in their

thousands; .hile the forested mountains of thenorth are inha(ited (0 bears and leopards< Inaddition; there are se7eral s8ecies uni=ue to"ongolia ? the endangered Pr,e(als&i’s-orse is one ? and an almost unmatched7ariet0 of birdlife< The sheer range of large

mammals also ma'es "ongolia a 8rimedestination for fishing and hunting ? 8ermitsare fairl0 sim8le to o(tain<

2*

1* animal s8ecies in GTI"ongolia

,actrian Camel,lac'tailed GaAelle

,ro.n ,ear)emoiselle Crane

Golden agleGra0 Dolf

PrAe.als'i@s Horse%i(erian l'

%i(erian I(e>%no. eo8ard



i7ing li'e a local"ongolia@s traditional form of accommodationhas remained the same since time immemorial ?feltlined .ooden structures 'no.n as gers<"ade from a circular frame of .ood and lined

.ith felt made from the .ool of local shee8;these are designed to (e erected or dismantled.ithin #* minutes; and to 8ro7ide .armth in.inter ? essential in a countr0 still largel0 madeu8 of nomadic herders; .ho mo7e from 8laceto 8lace throughout the 0ear; and face (ittertem8eratures during colder months<

It@s =uite 8ossi(le to sta' in a ger during 0ourtri8 to "ongolia< 7en from +laan ,aatar;agencies offer tours into the countr0side;ena(ling 7isitors to sta0 at a remote ger foran0thing from one night to one month< Those

.ho head out into the GTI regions of $hentii;%u'h(aatar and )ornod .ill also find thatsta0ing in a ger is the onl0 true .a0 toe>8erience the (eaut0 of the "ongoliancountr0side< Meals are often 8ro7ided (0 localfamilies; adding 0et another element to this

=uintessentiall0 local e>8erience<

The Trans"ongolian : s8ur of Russia@s famed Trans%i(erian rail.a08<4!6; this rail route has (ecome enormousl0

8o8ular .ith tra7ellers see'ing to ta'e a multi)

destination trip ? on a single; eas0totra7elroute; one ma0 com(ine the delights of Russia;"ongolia and China< Interestingl0; e7en some ofthe Russian and Chinese cities in7ol7ed alsoallo. the tra7eller an o88ortunit0 to disco7er

Mongolian culture; as .ell as more esta(lishedtra7el gems such as "osco.; Ir'uts' and ,eijing<Comforta(le sleeper carriages are a7aila(le;and trains also feature restaurant cars; as .ellas 24hour hot .ater; and heating in coldermonths<

The train 8eels from the Trans%i(erian in the

Russian cit0 of Ulan)Ude; itself home to a large,ur0at 8o8ulation< :fter (arrelling do.n through"ongolia@s hill0; forested north; the tran arri7es inthe ca8ital cit0 of Ulaan 5aatar; gate.a0 to therest of the countr0< :fter a long and s8ectacular

tri8 across the ste88e and the Go(i desert; thetrain 8asses through the grasslands of China@sInner Mongolia 8<1!6; (efore coming to a restin .onderful 5ei%ing<

21

F Trans"ongolian sto8sUlan Ude start6

Naush&iB/u&hbaatar 245'm6Ulaan 5aatar F54'm6?am'n)Uud 1#F#'m6

@ining 1!*F'm65ei%ing 22*!'m6



Tra7el logistics

Getting thereInternational air8orts +laan ,aatar hu(6rom China To +laan ,aatar there are flights from ,eijing; Hohhot and

Hailar; and direct trains from ,eijing and Hohhot< There are t.o main(order crossings<rom the R-$ There are flights from %eoulIncheon to +laan ,aatar<rom Russia +laan ,aatar recei7es Trans%i(erian trains from "osco.;and there are se7eral (order crossings ? the GTI region has a minorroad crossing at reenTsa7<

Dhen to go"ongolia has a re8utation for se7ere; (iting cold; and it is indeed truethat +laan ,aatar is the .orld@s coldest ca8ital cit0< Ho.e7er; summertells a different stor0; running from "a0 until :ugust; and seeingtem8eratures to8 #*oC in the ca8ital; and 4*oC in the Go(i desert< -neither side of this; spring and autumn can also (e delightful; theformer seeing the grasslands e>8lode .ith colour after their .inter

hi(ernation< )es8ite the freeAing cold; s'ies of 8ure (lue mean that(inter is also an enchanting time to 7isit; though tra7elling across thecountr0 can (e rather difficult at this time< The (est time to 7isit isundou(tedl0 in Jul0 during the Naadam festival; .hich sees countr0.ide dis8la0s of traditional "ongolian acti7ities<

BisasCitiAens of most countries .ill re=uire a 7isa to enter "ongolia ? the+nited %tates; %inga8ore; India and Israel are among those e>ce8ted;and those .ith di8lomatic 8ass8orts from either $orea can also sta07isafree for one month< -ther 7isitors .ill need a tourist visa from a"ongolian em(ass0 or tra7el agent; .hich ma0 re=uire a letter ofinvitation<

Getting around"ongolia@s lo. 8o8ulation densit0 means that 8u(lic trans8ort can (escarce< Ho.e7er; there are regular flights from +laan ,aatar to t.oGTI region cities ? +ndur'haan in $hentii; and Choi(alsan in )ornod<There are also buses connecting +laan ,aatar .ith ,aruun+rt in%u'h(aatar 8ro7ince; 8assing through +ndur'haan on the .a0<Ho.e7er; the occasionall0 difficult nature of the terrain means that it@s8erha8s more ad7isa(le to rent a vehicle and dri7er eas0 to do in an0of the cities mentioned a(o7e6; es8eciall0 if 0ou .ant to head tofurthera.a0 sights< ,oo'ing a tour .ill ma'e things e7en easier anum(er of e>cellent agencies in +laan ,aatar offer .ee'long tours ofeastern "ongolia; mostl0 focusing on the $hentii region<

:ccommodation-utside +laan ,aatar; accommodation can (e rather (asic< The ca8italhas some e>cellent 8laces to sta0; .hile the GTI 8ro7incial ca8itals allha7e sim8le (ut ade=uate guesthouses and hotels< ote that not all8laces ha7e 24hour hot .ater< In the countr0side; it@s usuall0 8ossi(leto organise sta0s at traditional "ongolian tents; 'no.n locall0 as gers<These tend to (e located in outofthe.a0 8laces; meaning that meals.ill (e arranged as 8art of the deal<

22

ood and drin' (uuA

large; steamed dum8lings stuffed .ith mutton'hushur

fried dum8lings stuffed .ith meattsui7an

mutton stri8s and sliced 7egeta(les on friednoodles

'aAhorse meat; .idel0 a7aila(leairagfermented mare@s mil'

s&&te0 tsaisalted mil' tea

esti7alsTsam )ance esti7al; Jan,uddhist mas' dance held nationall0

Tsagaan %ar< Jane("ongolian e. Eear

aadam; JulHuge national da0 of .restling; horse racing

and archer0"ongol Rall0; Jul:ug

Conclusion of a road race from ondon to+laan ,aatar

"ongolian em(assies andconsulatesChina

,eijing; Hohhot; rlianhotR-$

%eoulRussia

"osco.; Ir'uts'; +lan+de; $0A0l

%tatisticsPopulation 2<! millionPopulation of GTR 1F4 thousand

3rea 1<F million 'm2

3rea of GTR 2/! thousand 'm2

Capital cit' +laan ,aatar Ул!"#$6

Currenc' "ongolian Tgrg ₮6

"ongolian (asics-ello

%ain (aina uu Сайн байна ууGoodb'e

,a0artai БаярлаллааThan& 'ou

,a0arllaa Баяртай

/orr'

+uchlaaraiУучлаарай-o( much>

ne 0amar unetei 7e Энэ ямар

үнэтэй вэ

CheersFTogtoo0Q TогтооёQ

Its delicious"ash :mtatai Маш амттай

Can 'ou spea& .nglish>Ta :ngliar 0aridag uu Та Англиар

ярьдаг уу

"ongolia onlineNational tourist board

...<mongoliatourism<go7<mn



$hentiiХэнтий

'hentii<go7<mn "G

TH :) -

CHIGGI% $H::

HR)% -GR:IG :I":%

H-R%RI)IG-PP-RT+ITI%

:R:D:E "-+T:I%

@ust east of Ulaan 5aatar# the province of hentii offers visitors the uni0ue

opportunit' to follo( in the footsteps of Chinggis haan# for this mar&s the spot(here the great leader (as born* Chinggis himself (ould still feel 0uite at home# forthe landscape has changed little since his da's of po(er A this remains a place ofspectacular natural beaut'# (ith the (ide river valle's of the south building up to amountainous and richl' forested north*

"uch of this ma'es u8 the $haan $hentii %trictl0 Protected :rea; a glorious reser7e .hich offersintre8id tra7ellers a 8rime s8ot for hi'ing and .ildlife s8otting ? the area@s fauna includes hordesof deer and el'; as .ell as floc's of endangered (irds< ,est of all; ho.e7er; is the chance to a8ethe actions of Chinggis himself; and set off across the 8lains and hills on horse(ac' ? a magical;

unforgetta(le e>8erience<

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%iAe Po8ulation

/* thousand 'm

2

F/ thousand



+ndur'haan Өндөрхаан 3 pleasant cit' on the grass' ban&s of the meanderingRiver herlen# Undur&haan is the capital and mainpopulation centre of hentii province# home of Chinggishaan*

ocal authorities ha7e (een 'een to highlight the connection .ith"ongolia@s national hero; and t.o large statues of the greatleader sit in the 7er0 centre of to.n; one of them a colossal(ronAe creation in .hich Chinggis is sitting on horse(ac'<

%hada7darjallin "onaster0This monaster0 .as (uilt in the 1FF*s; and soon (ecame the most im8ortant8lace of .orshi8 in $hentii 8ro7ince< Indeed; it is said that this .as "ongolia@sfirst dedicated esta(lishment of ,uddhist teachings< It .as once home to morethan one thousand mon's; (ut toda0; just a fe. remain ? the original structures.ere remo7ed in the 195*s; (ut the (eautiful recreations are .ell .orth 7isiting<-ne other .ooden (uilding in to.n .as once the home of Tsetseg $haan; anHth)centur' prince; and no. houses an interesting "useum of thnogra8h0<

$h'h uur Хөх НуурThis magical la&e has an im8ortant 8lace in "ongolian histor0;for according to ancient te>ts; this is .here Chinggis haanfirst declared himself leader of the "ongols<

Chinggis a88arentl0 li7ed here as a child; he and his 8oor famil0 sur7i7ing onmarmots and .ild game; (efore his fortunes too' a turn for the (etter< The areadoes; indeed; ha7e an aus8icious feel to it; a calm e>8anse of (lue sitting at the(ase of a mountain; and surrounded on all sides (0 grass and 8ine trees< : smallresort is no. on hand to accommodate those .ho .ish to follo. in thefootste8s of Chinggis<

$haan $hentiiХаан Хэнтий

This area of richl0 forested 8ea's and 7alle0s forms one of

"ongolia@s .ildest corners; and in an effort to 8rotect its uns8oiltnatural resources; the national go7ernment has declared theregion a /trictl' Protected 3rea<

Horseriding and hi&ing are 8o8ular acti7ities; es8eciall0 since the area contains5ur&han halduun; one of "ongolia@s most im8ortant mountains3 this isre8uted to (e the 8lace .here Chinggis haan .as (orn ? )adal (elo.6 hassimilar claims ? and ma0 also (e the 8lace in .hich he .as (uried< It .ascertainl0 a fa7ourite of his as a 0outh; and "ongolians treat the 8ea' as sacred;as e7idenced (0 the man0 o7oo ? roc'8iles connected to shamanist ceremonies

? .hich lie clustered at the to8; festooned .ith 8ra0er flags<

)adal адал,lissfull0 remote; the 7illage of )adal is just 2*'m from theRussian border<

This is; according to most sources; the location in .hich Chinggis haan .as(orn; sometime around 11F2 :)< Regardless of its histor0; this is one of the most8leasura(le areas for hi'ing in the .hole of "ongolia; and unli'e most of $hentii;there are se7eral hotels and restaurants catering to tourists< There@s furtheraccommodation; and e7en (etter scener0; in the 1non)5al% National Par& ;8art of .hich lies (et.een )adal and the Russian (order<

24

Tra7el informationThe u8grading of the road from

+laan ,aatar means that +ndur'haanis eas0 to reach from the ca8ital (0

%eep ? there@s usuall0one ser7ice 8erda0; and others to the 8ro7incial

ca8itals of Choil(alsan and ,aruun+rt< Ho.e7er; this has also seen the

end of scheduled flights from +laan,aatar; though it@s still 8ossi(le to

charter a 8lane<

Tra7el informationThere is no 8u(lic trans8ort to the

la'e; (ut the (est 8lace to get a %eepis the near(0 to.n of

Tsen'hermandal<

Tra7el informationThere is no 8u(lic trans8ort to $haan

$hentii ? the nearest to.n .ithtrans8ort connections is

"ngnmorit< Ho.e7er; themountains feature on a num(er of

tour itineraries<

Tra7el informationThere are 8u(lic buses running

(et.een )adal and +laan ,aatar; andalso the 8ro7incial ca8ital of

+ndur'haan<

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,aruun+rtБаруун−Урт

The provincial capital of 5aruun)Urt functions as a basefor e4plorations of the rest of the region* Touristspassing through to(n should ma&e their (a' to the

(onderful .rdenemandal monaster'# as (ell as adelightful ethnographic museum (hich loo&s at thecomple4 ethnic ma&e)up of the /&hbaatar region*

,aruun+rt is an im8ortant centre of "ongolia@s miningindustr' ? the e>traction of gold; sil7er and Ainc has attractedinternational in7estment; .hile the area also (oasts su(stantialmineral reser7es<

Tourists can also ma'e use of a small clutch of hotels; though reser7ationsshould (e made as far in ad7ance as 8ossi(le; since the0@re often full0 occu8ied(0 mining teams<

)arigangaарьганга

The area surrounding this tin' village is incredibl' scenic A the undulating surface is peppered li&e a /(iss cheese(ith volcanic craters* /ome are filled (ith (ater# andthese small la&es are undeniabl' photogenic*

The largest crater .ithin the immediate 7icinit0 is to88ed (0 thestu8a of 3ltan 1voo; though ladies (e .arned3 local traditiondictates that onl0 men are allo.ed to ma'e the journe0 to therim of the crater< The areas to the north and south of )arigangaare rather different from each other ? the north is dominated (0

grasslands and scru(; .hile to the south are inhos8ita(le sanddunes 'no.n as Moltsog .ls< )ifferent though the0 ma0 (e;(oth 8ro7ide ideal terrain for the intre8id; naturemindedtra7eller<

Ganga a'e ature Reser7eThis reser7e (oasts la'e after stunning la&e; and those 7isiting in a .armermonth are sure to (e tem8ted to ha7e a s.im< Come just after summer and 0ouma0 see thousands and thousands of migrating s(ans; .ho dro8 (0 on their

journe0 to %outheast :sia< T.o of the la'es are 8articularl0 8o8ular ? Tsagaanand Ganga; (oth eas0 to reach (0 jee8 or horse from )ariganga<

2F

Tra7el information,aruun+rt has an airport just tothe south of the ur(an area; from.hich there are .ee'l0 flights to

+laan ,aatar< The to.n also lies on

the main road from +ndur'haan toChoi(alsan; a route .hich starts in

+laan ,aatar and is ser7ed (0occasional buses<

Tra7el information)ariganga is accessi(le (0 %eep from

,aruun+rt<

%lee8ing)ariganga is also one of the most

8ictures=ue 8laces in eastern"ongolia in .hich to slee8 in a gercamp ? a good thing; as there are

no other forms of accommodation inthe area; (ar cam8ing in the .ild<

Ganga a'e is also a 8o8ular 8lacefor .ild camping<

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)ornodорнод

dornod<mn "G

DI)IR%RB%

+T:") %TPP

-":)ICHR)R%

BIR-"T:T-+RI%"

5lissfull' free of human contact# Mongolia’s easternmost province is ideal for those inthe mood for a (ild escape*

:lmost the .hole of )ornod ? .hich means Neast@ in "ongolian ? is ta'en u8 .ith grasslands;national 8ar's and 8rotected areas3 no mean feat in an area larger than the )PR$< These naturalrefuges 8ro7ide sanctuar0 for creatures such as the +ssurian moose; the urasian otter and the

.hitena8ed crane< :ll of these; in addition to herd after enormous herd of gaAelle; can (e foundon the colossal 8lains surrounding Choi(alsan; the 8ro7incial ca8ital<

Dith all this in mind; there can (e no dou(t as to the area@s a88eal as a (ase for ecologicaltourism< %uch facilities are currentl0 thin on the ground; (ut )ornod@s future loo's 8romising<

:BR:G T"PR:T+R%3 CH-I,:%:

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%iAe Po8ulation124 thousand 'm2 !4 thousand



Choi(alsan!ойбалсан

/ituated along the northern ban& of the River herlen#the pleasing cit' of Choibalsan can be used as a base forDornod’s stunning collection of (ildlife reserves* This is

not %ust the capital of Dornod province# but the largestcit' and most important trade and transport hub ineastern Mongolia*

Choi(alsan (oasts a fe. sights of its o.n; as .ell as e>cellent

accommodation facilities and good 8laces to eat< Thosecoming here o7erland from +ndur'haan ma0 also care to sto8 (0the Toson hultsai Nature Reserve; a glorious tract of landthat@s one of the (est 8laces in the countr0 in .hich to see"ongolia@s famed (hite)tailed ga,elles< Just to the .est ofthe cit0 centre are t.o small museums ? one focuses on

histor'; .hile the other is filled .ith .or's of local art<Ho.e7er; the cit0@s major sight is Dan%ig Dan%aalin

Monaster'<

"useumsJust to the .est of the cit0 centre are t.o small museums; .hich 8ro7ideinformation a(out life in )ornod 8ro7ince ? one focuses on histor'; .hile theother is filled .ith .or's of local art<

)anjig )anjaalinThe cit0@s major sight is Dan%ig Dan%aalin Monaster'; .hich dates (ac' to theearl0 1/5*s; and is su8er(l0 decorated< It@s centrall0 located; mai'ing a 7isitalmost essential .hether 0ou@re sta0ing or just 8assing through<

)ornod Tal : huge plain named the )ornod Tal surrounds Choi(alsan; and 8ro7ides ha(itatfor a large num(er of animal s8ecies; including some uni=ue to "ongolia<

Ga,elles are the most commonl0 seen; (ouncing across the 8lain in theirthousands or tens of thousands; (ut the ste88e is also home to endangeredanimals such as the Pr,e(als&i’s -orse ? the .orld@s onl0 remaining .ildhorse; .orld num(ers declined to just thirt0 (efore conser7ation efforts led (0"ongolian and nglish teams; and there are no. .ell o7er a thousand in the.ild<

"ongol )aguurМонгол агуурThis colossal (ildlife reserve has been classified a/trictl' Protected 3rea in an effort to protect itsundoubted natural beaut'*%imilar in feel to southern %i(eria; .hich lies just across the(order; the rolling mountains are home to a di7erse arra0 of flora

and fauna; the greatest attraction (eing the millions ofmigrator' birds .ho use the reser7e as a sto8o7er on their.a0 north or south< The most famed of these is the endangered(hite)naped crane< The reser7e is a mi> of .etland androlling ste88e; and lends itself 8erfectl0 to eco)tourism<

2/

Tra7el informationThere are se7eral .ee'l0 flights to

Choi(alsan from +laan ,aatar; as .ellas %eep connections to +ndur'haan

8<246; ,aruun+rt 8<2F6 and man0locations .ithin )ornod 8ro7ince< In

addition; trains run from Choi(alsanto the Russian (order ? useful for

those going to "ongol )aguuro88osite6 ? and in the future there

ma0 also (e ser7ices to northeasternChina<

%lee8ing%ur8risingl0; gi7en the remoteness ofthis 8ro7incial ca8ital; there are some

good hotels in to.n< These arehuddled in the Aone north of the

hos8ital<

PracticalitiesIt is 8ossi(le to slee8 in the reser7e;

at the gers of local families< This can(e organised through tourist offices

in +laan ,aatar or Choi(alsan< Toaccess the reser7e; one .ill need a

s8ecial permit a7aila(le from the%trictl0 Protected :reas -ffice inChoi(alsan< The Russian border is

just north of Chuluun'horoot; and iso8en to third8art0 nationals<

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,uir uurБуйр нуурThis large la&e A around +$&m in length# and about halfas (ide A is one of the highlights of the Dornod region*It@s an ideal s8ot for fishing; since it@s home to an astonishing

amount of car8; as .ell as doAens of other s8ecies< The car8 is8articularl0 8o8ular; and ser7ed at a num(er of Chineserestaurants; .hich dot the la'e@s northern shore ? this stretch is

actuall0 in the Chinese 8ro7ince of Inner "ongolia 8<1!6<

Tourism is in its infanc0 here; and there are fe. 8laces to slee8 ?camping is the (est o8tion; though tour com8anies can usuall0organise a homesta0< Ho.e7er; the local go7ernment has 8lansfor a large eco)resort near the la'eshore .hich; if funding can

(e found; is li'el0 to ran' among eastern "ongolia@s mosta88ealing accommodation facilities<

umrugНөмрөг.ntirel' surrounded b' Chinese territor'# Mongolia’seastern tip is also one of its most splendidl' untouched

areas A almost free of human contact# this (ildlifereserve A over J#$$$&m" in si,e# and therefore largerthan the nation of 2u4embourg A has been declared a/trictl' Protected 3rea*

This is; understanda(l0; a magnet for those see'ing a naturalgeta.a0< Those .ho ma'e the long journe0 here .ill find .ide;

grass0 fields a(utting .a7e after .a7e of 8ristine; untouchedforest ? 8ine trees march into the distance; and there@s (arel0 asoul to (e seen<

This is a .onderful 8lace to ta'e a horse ride< Horses can (ehired from rangers at the 8ar'@s centre; though since this is a(order area; 7isitors must (e escorted at all times<

29

Tra7el informationThere is no scheduled trans8ort to

,uir uur; (ut it@s 8ossi(le to get tothe la'e on chartered vehicles

from Choi(alsan<

Tra7el informationThere is no scheduled trans8ort to

the 8ar'; (ut it@s 8ossi(le to get thereusing a chartered vehicle from

Choi(alsan< "ongolian and Chinesenationals can also cross the (order

here to and from Inner "ongolia8<1!6<

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+laan ,aatarУлаанбаатар

6hile not part of the GTI region# the Mongolian capital

of Ulaan 5aatar is a springboard for trips to the rest ofthe countr'# and forms part of almost all visits toMongolia* It offers a range of accommodation#

restaurants# nightlife and shopping options unmatchedan'(here else in the countr'# and has a fe( sights of itso(n to &eep travellers occupied before heading off on aMongolian adventure*

Gandan $hiid

Dith graceful .ooden (uildings; gleaming .hite stu8as andhundreds of s8inning 8ra0er .heels; this cit0centre 5uddhistmonaster' is +laan ,aatar@s main attraction< The com8le>contains o7er a doAen (uildings; and is usuall0 ta'es a cou8le ofhours to tour them< "ajor ceremonies are usuall0 held in-chidara tem8le; (ut the focal 8oint is Mig%id @anraisig /m;

a majestic (uilding .hose inner .alls are lined .ith hundreds ofimages of :0ush; the ,uddha of longe7it0< These stare at agolden statue of "igjid Janraisig; .hich stands o7er t.ent0metres in height<

"useums

The Natural -istor' Museum is the most 8o8ular museum in"ongolia; allo.ing 7isitors to see a .ide range of natural8henomena such as dinosaur bones and meteorite remains<%imilar artefacts are on dis8la0 at the National Museum of

Mongolian -istor'; .hile those in the mood for art can headto the ?anaba,ar Museum of !ine 3rts<

Terelj ational Par' This is the closest area of (eautiful .ilderness to +laan ,aatar;and as such .ill a88eal to those .ho do not ha7e the time to7enture further out into the countr0side< Ho.e7er; since it lies

east of the ca8ital; it can also (e used as a sto88ing 8oint forthose heading from +laan ,aatar to the "ongolian GTI regions<"an0 hotels in +laan ,aatar .ill (e a(le to organise tours toTerelj< :ll .ill include trans8ort; (ut tri8 lengths 7ar0 from sim8leda0tri8s to multida0 sta0s; all of .hich .ill feature meals andnights in traditional "ongolian gers<

#*

Tra7el information

Chinggis haan International 3irport is the hu( of domesticser7ices; and also carries flights to

Russia; the R-$; China including theGTI cit0 of Hohhot; 8<1/6; German0

and Ja8an< +laan ,aatar@s cit0centretrain station is a sto8 on the Trans

"ongolian route from "osco. to,eijing< There are t.o bus stationsin the cit0 ? use the eastern one to

get to the "ongolian GTI regions< Inaddition; +laan ,aatar is the mostsensi(le 8lace in the countr0 from.hich to organise a guided tour<

%ho88ingJust east of the centre; the 5lac&

Mar&et is one of the (usiest 8lacesin the .hole countr0; selling a .ide

range of goods that are eagerl0sna88ed u8 (0 tourists< Dal'ing

around its stalls; mostl0 outdoor;0ou@ll see e7er0thing from furlinedfoot.ear to .restling costumes; as

.ell as innumera(le "ongoliantrin'ets< "ore e>8ensi7e; (ut a little

less hectic; is the /tateDepartment /tore in the cit0

centre; .hose to8 floor carries arange of sou7enirs<

CultureHistor0



Republic of Korea대한민국 A land of rolling, misty mountains cloaked with pine trees, Korea is etching itself evermore strongly onto the world travel map. Spas and wonderful hiking routes pleasethe health-conscious, sumptuously-painted Buddhist temples delight sightseers,while those keen on history can feast on relics from over 2,000 years of royal rule.

The ROK’s GTI region includes much of the country’s sunny eastern seaboard, including theprovinces of Gangwon and Gyeongbuk, as well as the cities of usan and !lsan" #ith their

seaboard location, these play a prime role on the $orth %ast &sian transport corridor, and theirinternational connections make it key to the GTI region as a whole" Together these provinces andcities form an area greater in si'e than the $etherlands ( as one would e)pect, the region offersplenty to see" &mong the main draws are a spine of craggy mountains which rifle their way downthe coast, a former dynastic capital still filled with the age*old treasures of kings and +ueens,beaches and rivers galore, and a couple of the country’s most likeable and dynamic cities"

#alking amongst the illa kings, Gyeong-u .p"/01 2iking the enchanting eoraksan range, Gangwon .p"/31

4a'ing on 2aeundae each, usan .p"551 #atching Korea’s first sunrise, !lsan .p"561

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Getting to know Korea

8ynastic KoreaKorea has a proud historical tradition, havingbeen home to one of the world’s longest everunbroken royal lines" 9rom :; < to the mid ; th

century, the Silla, Baeke and !oguryeokingdoms ruled over various parts of the

peninsula" illa eventually absorbed its twocompetitors, and was itself succeeded by the!oryeo and "oseon dynasties ( no fewer than7;3 kings, stretching over almost 6=== years"

8espite the passing of centuries, evidence ofthis dynastic past is easy to find across the GTI

region" !yeongu .p"/01 was once the illa

capital, and its royal tombs, relics and wonderfultemples are -ustly famed, while Andong .p"5=1has a >oseon*era <onfucian temple on itsoutskirts, as well as a small village that stilllooks much the same as it did in dynastic times"

ki resortsIt should be no surprise that Korea is one of &sia’s most popular skiing destinations ( morethan ;:? of the country is mountainous, and it

en-oys good, reliable snowfall each winter" Thereare a number of world*class resorts to choose

from, most of them in the GTI region of!angwon .p"/:1 ( this is the most northerlyprovince in the land, as well as its mostmountainous, meaning that conditions are

perfect for a spot of winter fun" Koreans love toski, snowboard and ice*skate, and the country isusually near the top of the medal table at the#inter $lympics, an event it is likely to host inthe near future"

Gangwon is dotted with top*class resorts, all ofwhich have e)cellent accommodation facilities,as well as e+uipment for hire, and instructors on

hand to show novices the ropes" &mong themost notable resorts are %lysian !angchon,less than an hour from eoul by train, and top*

notch &ongpyong ( with more than /= slopesto choose from, this was a candidate venue forthe 6=75 #inter Games"

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; ma-or ski resorts'aemyung (ivaldi )ark

www"vivaldipark"com%lysian !angchon *esort

www"gangchonresort"com+yundai Sungwoon *esort

www"hdsungwoo"co"kr)hoeni )ark www"pp"co"kr

&ongpyong *esortwww"yongpyong"co"kr

Kangwon and *esortwww"high7"co"kr

$ak (alley Ski (illagewww"oakvalley"co"kr

; uddhist temples in GTI

Koreaaekyangsa, !lsan .p"===1eomeosa, usan .p"===1

ogyeongsa, @ohang .p"===1ulguksa, Gyeong-u .p"===1Golgulsa, Gyeong-u .p"===1

$aksansa, Gangwon .p"===1Taehwasa, !lsan .p"===1



Korean drama and filmIn recent years, a host of popular movies andtelevision dramas have brought Korean cultureto millions of homes and thousands of cinemascreens around the world" 9ilming locations have

become a big draw for international visitors (many scenes are filmed in spectacular naturallocations, including some within the GTI region"

#inter Sonata was one of the most populardramas, and $ami Island .p"/;1, near<huncheon, was where the two main characters

kindled their romance" >ust north of the samecity, it’s possible to sleep inside a floating hut onthe lake where Kim Ki*8uk’s thriller he /slewas filmed, while over in Gyeongbuk province asimilarly beautiful lake was the setting for hisseminal movie Spring, Summer, all,

#inter... and Spring"

2ealth tourismKoreans are some of the healthiest people onthe planet ( ask anyone who has been

overtaken by a local grandmother on a mountainclimb" @art of this is due to the Korean diet,which is low in fat and makes good use ofseafood and fresh vegetables" The country isalso the world’s largest producer of ginseng, aroot with well*known health benefits, and

available in many different forms"

2owever, there are other reasons for Korea’se)tremely high level of national health, one ofwhich is the high number of well*+ualifiedmedical practicioners" 1edical tourism hastaken off ( short waiting times and relatively low

costs mean that each year, tens of thousands ofpatients come from overseas to be treated inKorea"

%ven if you’re not here for treatment, you’ll beable to take advantage of the healthy local wayof life" &n array of spas and saunas can be

found across the country ( travellers will find nobetter way to rela) their weary bones"

//



Travel logistics

Getting thereInternational airports eoul*Incheon .hub1, usan

9rom <hina There are flights to eoul*Incheon from ei-ing, <hangchun,8alian, 2arbin, 2ohhot, henyang and Aan-i, and to usan fromhenyang" There are also ferries to Incheon, near eoul, from 8alianand 8andong"9rom Bongolia There are flights from !laan aatar to eoul"9rom Russia There are flights from Cladivostok to eoul*Incheon andusan"

#hen to go &s is the case in much of $ortheast &sia, spring .&pril and Bay1 andautumn .October and $ovember1 are the ideal times to visit, avoidingthe stifling heat and free'ing cold of the Korean summer and winter"%ven at these times, however, temperatures are not e)treme, makingfor en-oyable visits throughout the year"

CisasTourist visas are available on entry for citi'ens of most nations, varyingin length from one to si) months ( check www"visitkorea"or"kr for moreinformation"

Getting aroundThe ROK has regular, clean and punctual public transport ( high*+ualityuses connect all ma-or cities, and there is also an e)tensive trainnetwork" Bany cities, including usan, have suway systems, whiletais are plentiful and +uite cheap by international standards"

&ccommodationThe ROK has a tremendous amount of accommodation ( you will not bestuck for a room" Bost cities have tourist hotels, though even morenumerous ( and perfectly comfotable ( are motel rooms, which areusually far cheaper"

/5

9ood and drink bibimbap

egg and assorted vegetables on ricedak galbi

spicy chicken cooked at the table withvegetableshoe

raw fish, available around the coasto-ingeo deopbapspicy s+uid on rice

makkeollimilky, creamy rice wine

saenggang chaginger tea

9estivals8ano, Bay

8ay of traditional games best en-oyed inGangneung, Bay

International Bime 9estival, Bay9un international acting event in <huncheon

Bask 8ance 9estival, ep9un traditional festival near &ndong@I99, OctOne of &sia’s biggest film festivals, usan

Korean embassies andconsulates<hinaei-ing, hanghai, 2ong Kong

Bongolia!laan aatar

RussiaBoscow, Cladivostok

tatistics)opulation 5D"; million

)opulation of !* 0 million Area 7== thousand km6

Area of !* /D thousand km6

3apital city eoul .서울1

3urrency outh Korean #on .₩1

Korean basics+ello

&nnyeong haseyo 안녕 하세요

!oodye &nnyeonghi gyeseyo 안녕히 계세요

hank you

Gamsa hamnida 감사 합니다

Sorry

Bian hamnida 미안 합니다+ow much4

Olma eyoE 얼마 에요E

3heers5

GeonbaeF 건배

/ts delicious

Bashisseoyo 맛있어요

3an you speak %nglish4

Aong*eo halsuisseoyoE 영어 할수있어요E

Korea online6ational tourist oard

www"visitkorea"or"kr*egional tourist oards

gwd"go"krgb"go"kr

ulsan"go"krbusan"go"kr*ail information

www"korail"com

Airport informationwww"airport"kr



Gangwon !"

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Koreans almost unanimously agree that green, gorgeous !angwon is the mosteautiful province on their peninsula. or the most part, it7s lissfully rural, oastinga population smaller than many Korean cities, despite eing the country7s second-largest province.

Buch of the action lies around a sunny eastern coast pocked with beaches" 2ere one can find theappealing cities of okcho and Gangneung ( the latter boasts charming residences of formeraristocrats, as well as the lagoons around which they used to rela) and compose poetry" In

between these two cities lies the village of >eongdong-in, a favourite with couples seeking a

romantic sunrise" The interior is almost entirely mountainous, with the craggy peaks of theeoraksan range ideal for anything from a gentle walk to a multi*day hike"

&C%R&G% T%B@%R&T!R% OK<2O

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okcho #$The characterful port city of okcho sits on Korea’s easterncoast, hemmed in by the gorgeous Seoraksan mountainrange" These are almost universally acknowledged as the mostbeautiful mountains in the country, and are easily accessible

from central okcho"

The city has a salty charm of its own, however, especially on tiny Aai /sland,whose warren of small, bree'y streets are a favourite with Koreans hunting downa plate of sundae, a kind of spicy sausage made from noodles" The island’sappeal has seen it featured in several television drama shows" & small lakenamed &eongnangho is also popular, since the eoraksan mountains can beseen reflected in its glassy surface" okcho is also an important centre of tradeand transport, and its important position within the !/ region is highlighted byits Hsister city’ relationship with 2unchun .p"751 in <hina’s >ilin district .p"761, andKhasansky .p":71 in Russia’s @rimorsky Krai .p"501"

eoraksan $ational @ark #ith its fingers of stone poking through the treeline, eoraksan is the mostvisually attractive mountain range in the country" It attracts visitors from allacross the land ( some come for a short walk and a meal, others for two or threedays of hard hiking, but all come away impressed by the area’s dramatic beauty"#ith do'ens of small restaurants and places to stay, the park’s easternentrance is almost like a small town" 9rom here, it’s possible to ride a cale-carto a nearby peak for e)cellent views of mountains and sea, though hiking is evenmore en-oyable" The most popular course leads past +eundeulawi, a largeboulder that can be rocked back and forth by small groups of people, then upalmost one thousand steps to the e)posed ridgeline of 8lsanawi"

The coast2eading north along the coast will bring visitors to +wainpo, a tran+uil lagoonwithin touching distance of the sea, while further up it’s possible to look acrossthe ')*K order at !oseong" Those who plan in advance may be able tohead across the border to !eumgangsan, an unspoilt range that many claim tobe even more stunning than eoraksan"

>eongdong-in %&'Gan-eolgot in !lsan may be the first place in Korea to see thesunrise .p"561, but the tiny village of >eongdong-in is surely themost romantic, and a place dotted with seaside surprises"

%ven on the coldest night of the year, you’re likely to see a young couple or twositting on the each, eagerly awaiting the warmth of the sun" On warmweekends, people come from as far away as eoul and usan for this simplereason" 2owever, the town has a couple of interesting sights, all related to itscoastal location" To the south is what looks like a gigantic ship, stuck on top ofa cliff ( this is actually a uni+uely styled hotel" 2ead north instead and you’llsoon come across a warship this one is real, and was a gift from the &mericanmilitary" It’s also the world’s only genuine warship on which visitors are welcometo e)plore, and it’s fascinating to patrol the many corridors, decks and controlrooms" itting nearby, and also a genuine military anti+ue, is a sumarine fromthe 8@RK, which crashed off the coast in 7003"

ki resortsBountainous Gangwon province is perfect for skiing, and theprovince is dotted with top*class resorts .see p"/61" &ll havegood accommodation facilities, and e+uipment for hire"

/3

Travel informationurprisingly for such a small village,

>eongdong-in has a train station,sitting on the beach ( apparently, this

is closer to the sea than any othertrain station in the world" There are

services from Gangneung .p"/;1, andeven direct trains from eoul" There

are also us connections up anddown the Gangwon coast"

Travel information Aangyang airport lies -ust south of

okcho, offering connections to eouland okcho’s fellow GTI city of usan

.p"5/1" It has also been known tohandle international flights to <hinaand >apan" There are regular uses

to eoul and other Korean cities"

#ebsitesokcho"gangwon"go"kr

KOR %$G <2$ >&@ R!

$ature

&dventure

$ature 2istory



Gangneung (each*lined Gangneung sits on the Gangwon coast, a rela)edcity that also boasts serene lagoons and aristocratic aodes"The city also plays host to the large 'ano festival, one of thebest places in which to see traditional Korean activities"

O-ukheon#alking around the bamboo copses surrounding this endearing collection oftraditional wooden uildings, it’s hard to imagine that the area was, andremains, of great national importance" To find out, bring along some money,since O-ukheon was once home to an aristocratic family whose legacy is still inevidence on today’s anknotes" 9amed scholar &i &i was born here in 7:/3,and such is the importance of his poetry and social theories that his image wasplaced on the ₩:=== bill" Turn over the note and you’ll see a painting by hismother, Shin Saimdang, an artist who was chosen as the face for the ₩:=,===note ( the first Korean woman to be commemorated in this way" Time has beenkind to this famous family, since their former home still e)udes the charm ofcenturies past"

4akes and beaches<entral !yeongpodae lake has been a popular spot to rela) since dynastic

times, when local scholars erected ornate pavilions for their viewing pleasure"9or years, it has been said that you can see the moon five times at Gyeongpodae

( once in the sky, once reflected in the lake, once reflected in the sea, once inyour drinking glass, and once in your lover’s eye" 8own the road is the town’smost famous beach, !yeongpo, a sandy curl of sand which stretches overseveral kilometres" 2ere there are all sorts of water games on offer, fromsimple swimming and paddling to rides on a banana boat"

<huncheon )*<huncheon, the capital of Gangwon province, has always been arela)ed and pleasant place to visit, but now visitor numbers aregoing through the roof" #inter Sonata, a Korean televisiondrama, captivated viewers all across the world ( some of the

most important scenes were filmed in and around <huncheon"The city has also found renown as the best place to eat chickengali, one of Korea’s tastiest delicacies"

The oyang River flows directly alongside <huncheon’s city centre, and makes forsome of its most interesting sights" &ccessible by boat, the tiny island of "ungdois a blissfully +uiet place that’s perfect for bike*riding or picnicking it’s evenpossible to stay here at a chalet*style hut" 9urther upstream is Soyang 'am,behind which it’s possible to take an e)citing oat trip through the mountains"2eading downstream instead will eventually bring visitors to scenic, tree*lined6ami /sland, which found fame as a #inter onata location"

#on-u !+ & rising star and the largest city in Gangwon province, #on-u’smain travel draws are a collection of temples, and a range ofnearby mountains" The best of both are found among the

mighty, pine*dappled peaks of 3hiaksan 6ational )ark , easilyaccessible by bus ( numerous accommodation facilities .fromhigh*class to homestay1 make it possible to stay here, en-oysome fresh air and eat delicious mountain food"

/;

9estivalsThe fantastic /nternational 1imeestival is held each Bay, roping ina cosmopolitan range of actors and

spectators" The same can be said forthe )uppet estival, which usually

takes place in &ugust"

Travel informationGangneung lies at the end of the east

coast train line, with several dailyservices to eoul via >eongdong-in

.p"/31" Buses are even morefre+uent, and there are connections

to most cities across the country" Theclosest airport is Aangyang, north of

the city"

#ebsitewww"gangneung"co"kr

KOR %$G <2$ >&@

Travel information<huncheon is less than an hour away

from eoul by us, and also hasregular connections to other cities"

There’s also a train line heading tocentral eoul"

#ebsitetour"chuncheon"go"kr

KOR %$G <2$ >&@

Travel information#on-u has good us connections to

eoul and other nearby cities" There’salso a train line heading to eoul"

#ebsitewww"won-u"go"kr

KOR %$G <2$ >&@

<ulture2istory

<ulture

<ulture



Gyeongbuk ,-."

gb"go"kr KOR %$G <2$ >&@

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A land rich in tradition and steeped in history, the largely rural province of!yeonguk is one of Korea7s must-sees, having once een the realm of the Sillaempire, which ruled over the peninsula for almost a thousand years.

The former illa capital, Gyeong-u, remains studded with royal relics, including regal ponds, thegolden treasures of ancient kings and +ueens, and do'ens and do'ens of grassy, hill*like tombs (Korea’s own version of the %gyptian pyramids"

Gyeong-u is complemented perfectly by &ndong, another rela)ed city with a traditional vibe" Onits outskirts are 2ahoe, a village in which it seems that time has stood still for centuries, and thetran+uil <onfucian academy of 8osan eowon, set amidst the splendor of bucolic countryside"Those with a little time on their hands can take a ferry to !lleungdo, an unspoilt island risingsteeply from the %ast ea"

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Gyeong-u ,+Gyeong-u is the -ewel in Korea’s crown, and simply a must*see ifyou’re in the Gyeongbuk area" 9or almost 7,=== years, this wasthe capital of the Silla kingdom, who ruled over the entireKorean peninsula" Gyeong-u still possesses much of its original

air ( high*rise buildings are prohibited, and almost everystructure in the city centre has a traditional roof " #alkingaround Gyeong-u, you’ll see small, grassy hillocks at every turn ( ama'ingly, each of these is a royal tom" &lso in the citycentre is delightful Anapi pond, while -ust outside the city isBulguksa, perhaps Korea’s most elaborate uddhist temple"

Royal tombs &lmost one millennium of Silla royalty ( kings, +ueens, princes, princesses,consorts and more ( were buried around town in these simple mounds of earth,and today they represent Gyeong-u’s most famous sight" The densest group havebeen turned into umuli )ark , which is ama'ing place to be, since visitors cansee nothing but the undulating grass of royal tombs" One has even beenhollowed out, giving tourists an idea of the treasures once buried within"

2owever, there are countless more tombs around the city centre, and even someon the surrounding mountains ( try to hunt down your own private king"

$amsan>ust south of this city is a small but highly important mountain" The slopes of6amsan are dotted with royal tombs, temples, hermitages and uddhist stonereliefs, and this is -ust the start ( every year, more and more royal treasure isdiscovered on the mountain" %ven visitors who fail to uncover golden earrings orancient celadon will en-oy themselves, since the forest trails are perfect forhiking" The base of the mountain is +uite large, so many visitors arrive and tourthe area by icycle"

&nap-iThis pond was once a playground for illa kings, who came here to eat, drinkand be merry while taking in gentle views" It was built in 3;5 on the orders of

King 1unmu, and was originally part of the illa palace comple)" &fterredevelopment in 70;5, tens of thousands of royal artefacts were found here,and many can be seen in the ad-acent !yeongu 6ational 1useum, -ust ashort walk away ( items on display include elaborately designed furniture andgolden ewellery, which in their time influenced >apanese design" King Bunmuhimself was buried at sea, -ust off the Gyeongbuk coast, in an attempt to protectKorea from the >apanese after his death"

omun 4ake>ust east of central Gyeong-u, this lake becomes home to many of the city’stourists, thanks to the array of top*class accommodation clustered along itsshores" #hether staying here or not, it’s a fun place to visit, with pedal-oatsfor hire, delightful walking tracks, and a nearby amusement park "

ulguksaKorea has no shortage of elaborately*painted Buddhist temples, but this one

tops the lot" 4ong seen as a place of national importance, this was added to the#orld +eritage list by !$%<O in 700:" & temple was first built in this area inthe 3th century, though it was e)panded to near its present si'e in ;:=" &lthoughall the of original wooden structures were destroyed by war, theirreplacements have been carved and painted with meticulous care, and thecomple) as a whole is nothing short of magical, surrounded by layer after layerof maple leaves and pine trees" 5km away is the grotto statue of Seokguram,itself seen as the prime e)ample of Buddhist art in the country, and alsoinscribed onto the #orld 2eritage list" Other prime temples can also be found inthe area, notably !olgulsa, whose monks are specialised in a form of martialarts known as eonmudo"

/0

Travel informationGyeong-u’s train station handlesservices from nearby 8aegu and

@ohang .p"5=1, as well as occasionaldirect services from eoul" The us

station is a little busier, with servicesheading around the country" There’sno airport in Gyeong-u, but one in

nearby 8aegu has domestic flights toeoul and >e-u Island, as well as

international services to ei-ing andhanghai"

#ebsitegyeong-u"co"kr

KOR %$G <2$ >&@

<ulture2istory



@ohang /0The coastal city of @ohang is synonymous with the production ofsteel, but the city has some merit as a tourist destination, witha clutch of appealing eaches -ust outside the centre, andaccess to mountains and temples"

$aeyeonsan4ocals call this H4ittle Geumgang’, a reference to the mountains which lie -ust overthe 8@RK border, acknowledged as the most beautiful on the peninsula" The$aeyeonsan peaks may not be as large or e)tensive, but are similar inappearance ( endless fingers of limestone -utting from layers of pine and oak,an enchanting and mysterious scene often shrouded by mist" 2ighlights here area do'en waterfalls, one of which has a bathing pool at its base, and thethousand*year*old temple of Bogyeongsa, whose surrounding trees are a riot ofcolour in the autumn"

!lleungdo 울("Rising steeply out of the sea, this small island preserves arela)ed, old*fashioned way of life, unaffected by the modern day"

%ven its main town, 'odongni, is little more than a village, and its secludedlocation at the base of a deep valley gives it the feel of a pirate’s getaway"!lleungdo is a place to kick back, unwind and eat some fresh seafood, thoughthose with energy to burn can hit the island’s highly en-oyable hiking trails (there’s almost no flat land on !lleungdo, so even a walk inside the villages canfeel like a hike" &bove the small urban areas lie swathes of richly forestedmountain slopes, criss*crossed by vines, flown over by butterflies, and dottedwith tiny uddhist hermitages"

&ndong 안&The small city of &ndong is surrounded by ucoliccountryside, as well as some of the most +uintessential

aspects of traditional Korea" There’s also a local form of sou,Korea’s national drink, though be warned that at over 5=?

alcohol it’s a lot stronger than the regular styles" In addition, theen-oyable 1ask 'ance estival takes place here eacheptember"

2ahoe 9olk CillageImagine a traditional Korean village where time has stood still ( woodenhousing, dirt paths, and no sounds but the gurgle of the nearby river" In themiddle of the verdant Gyeongbuk countryside, 2ahoe is -ust that, a simplehamlet protected from most elements of modernisation" Bany local visitors whopop by remark that this must have been how Korea looked during the "oseondynasty, in the days before industrialisation" Bany of the buildings, indeed, datefrom this time, while others have been converted to provide accommodation forvisiting tourists" &lthough 2ahoe can be visited as part of a day*trip from

&ndong, those with time on their hands are advised to stay the night, toe)perience the sights, sounds and smells of the Korean past"

8osan eowon & place close to the Korean heart, this 3onfucian academy hides away inunspoilt Gyeongbuk countryside, at the foot of a gentle mountain range" This hasbeen here since 7:;5, a few years after the death of &i +wang, one of thecountry’s most revered <onfucian scholars" Ai created 8osan eowon as anacademy for the study of <onfucian classics, but died -ust before the completionof his comple)" 2istory aside, the buildings blend superbly into their surroundingcountryside, and the view over the rice fields is rather spectacular"

5=

Travel information@ohang’s small airport has regular

flights to eoul, and the train stationoffers connections to the capital, as

well as 8aegu, usan .p"5/1 andGyeong-u .p"/01" &s is the case with

any big city in the country, uses arenumerous, while there are also

ferries to the island of !lleungdo.opposite1"

#ebsitewww"ipohang"org

KOR %$G <2$ >&@

Travel informationThere is no airport on !lleungdo, so

the only form of access is by ferry (@ohang .opposite1 is the best point of

access" & few uses crawl aroundthe island itself"

Travel information

&ndong’s train and us stations areconveniently located close to each

other in the centre of the city" To getto the sights listed here, visitors willhave to take local uses, tais or

hop on an organised tour"

<ulture2istory

<ulture

$ature



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!lsan 1

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By turns hectic and peaceful, 8lsan is a city on the move, and a veritale place ofcontrasts.

This is Korea’s most industrial city, with manufacturing plants galore on an almost unimaginablescale ( one so large that they have become tourist sights in their own right"

2owever, the financial rewards from this have given the city ample funds to beautify itself"#itness the swathe of green, eco*friendly parkland running alongside the city*centre Taehwa

River, providing the ideal setting for a stroll, a bike*ride, or a gentle -og"

>ust outside the city limits are beaches, temples and mountains galore, while to the south is!lsan’s most famous landmark Gan-eolgot, a lighthouse that every day becomes the first place inKorea to witness the rising sun"

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Taehwa River 23 &lthough !lsan is largely an industrial city, its focus is onenvironmental sustainability" One of the most recent Hgreen’creations was this gentle strip of parkland, running alongsidethe aehwa, !lsan’s home river" Tracks have been made for

walking and cycling, while spring sees the river banks e)plodewith flowers" It’s possible to rent icycles here for a smallprice, while restaurants and snack stands are on hand to keepvisitors refreshed"

eachesThere are a number of scenic beaches in !lsan and itssurrounding area" @erhaps the most interesting is "ueoneach, -ust to the east of central !lsan, which from a distanceappears to be curiously grey in colour ( this is the result of the

black pebbles which make up most of its surface" >ust up thecoast, the same delightful view can be had at "eonga each

which, like >u-eon, makes a great place to sit and eat some freshseafood" %ven closer to !lsan city centre is /lsan each, whichis especially popular on warm weekends" If on the coast, keep akeen eye on the waters ( nowhere else on the Korean peninsula

will you have a greater chance of seeing whales cavorting inthe sea" Indeed, paintings found at archaeological digs suggestthat the !lsan area has a history of whaling stretching backthousands of years ( a practice that has, of course, long sincefinished here"

Gan-eolgot 456

&t first glance, this looks like -ust one of many east*coastlighthouses, albeit one with terrific views of the churning sea"2owever, this is the first place on the Korean peninsula fromwhich the rising sun can be seen ( needless to say, it’s hugely

popular with couples seeking a romantic sunrise" &n even bettertime to be here is on 6ew &ear7s 'ay, when thousands ofvisitors from !lsan and beyond congregate to see the firstsunrise of the year" till, whatever the time of day or year, this isone of the most pictures+ue places in !lsan, and highlyaccessible, since it’s -ust a short way south of the city centre"

Temples and mountains!lsan is host to a number of delightful Buddhist temples, eacha perfectly*painted oasis of calm in a large and noisy city"aehwasa takes its name from the Taehwa river, whileBaekyangsa is one of the oldest surviving temple sites of theilla kingdom" Top of the charts for scenic mountains areSinulsan, which is over 7,6==m in height and boastsphotogenic fields full of eulalias" ome may prefer 'aeunsan,

which has fantastic lakes, waterfalls and rock formations in itsscenic $aewonam valley"

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Travel information!lsan’s airport handles flights fromeoul and >e-u Island, and there areregular us connections to all ma-orcities across the country" There arealso trains to !lsan, though theseare far less fre+uent and many are

slow services"

#ebsiteulsan"go"kr

KOR %$G <2$ >&@

Industrial facilitiesThere is something -aw*dropping

about the sheer scale of the industrialfacilities found in !lsan" 2ere lies the

colossal +yundai shipyard, thelargest such facility in the world (over 7=? of the world’s ships are

built here" Over 65,=== people areemployed here, making the plant as

large as a small town" It’s +uitepossible to take an organised tour ofthe plant, with applications welcome

at www"hhi"co"kr" $earby is theworld’s largest car plant, also ownedby 2yundai, and accessible on similartours" The plant has the capacity tomake over 7"3 million cars per year,though here the industrial impact is

minimised by the presence ofthousands of trees" 4astly, there’s themammoth SK oil refinery, also the

largest in the world"

2istory

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usan71

busan"go"kr KOR %$G <2$ >&@

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Busan may e smaller than Seoul, ut it7s no surprise that many visitors prefer it tothe capital. Known as the 9Korean 6aples7 thanks to its hilly lanes, ree:y atmosphereand friendly locals, this is the warmest and sunniest city on the Korean peninsula.

Its seaside position offers yet more delights for e)ample, there’s 2aeundae, a bu''ing beachlined with five*star hotels and >agalchi market, at which visitors can devour a mind*bogglingvariety of super*fresh seafood" 2owever, usan’s culinary scene doesn’t stop there ( the city’s

long history of international trade, as well as its prime location on the $orth %ast &sian transportcorridor, has given it a pleasing variety of cuisine from countries such as <hina, Russia and the@hilippines"

&C%R&G% T%B@%R&T!R% !&$

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2aeundae89대Korea has no shortage of splendid eaches, ut this is,

without dout, the most famous on the peninsula, a two-kilometre curl of white sand popular with water sports

enthusiasts, or those who simply want to rela.

2aeundae sits far to the east of central usan, yet provides the city’s ma-ordraw, as evidenced by the range of high-end hotels lining the beach" Bany ofthese also have top*notch conference facilities, highlighting usan’s appeal asa destination for business travellers ( the main reason that 2aeundae is also themain base for the Busan /nternational ilm estival"

ordering 2aeundae is 'ongaek /sland, a pine*filled place of natural beautyand the fascinating Busan A;uarium, filled with all kinds of marine life from theouth ea" &lso nearby is !wangalli each, whose popularity has soared inrecent years thanks to a redevelopment scheme which has seen bars and cafessprout up along the seafront" These come alive in a ha'e of neon each evening,while the view over pulsating Gwangan bridge is one of the best late*night sightsin Korea"

2eosimcheong pa:;<he gigantic hot springs resort of +eosimcheong is saidto e the largest in Asia, and is certainly one of the mostpopular < no fewer than = million visitors pass throughits gates every single year, to soak themselves in morethan =0 different types of pool.

These can vary in temperature from scalding to near*free'ing, while some havetheir waters infused with hers and essences such as green tea, lavender andcherry" 2eosimcheong also boasts mud ath and sauna rooms, as well asfacilities such as internet terminals, karaoke rooms and restaurants" There’s also

a high*end hotel connected to the premises"

eomeosa=어사his tran;uil Buddhist temple spreads its wings at thefoot of the richly forested mountain of !eumeongsan, tothe north of Busan city centre.

This graceful temple was first built here as far back as 3;D, when usan was partof the kingdom of Silla" &lthough burnt to the ground during the >apaneseinvasions of 7:06, the comple) has been lovingly restored, and features superbpaintwork in traditional uddhist colours, as well as several items regarded asnational treasures"

itting on top of the mountain are the fortress remains of!eumeongsanseong, which dates back to the first years of the 7D th century"4ike the temple, the fortress gates and walls have been restored with a greatdeal of care" !p to three metres high, the walls run for almost 6=km, and areperfect for those in the mood for a rela)ing walk"

55

Travel informationusan’s train station and ferry

terminals are conveniently locatedalmost alongside each other near thecentre of the city, while the two main

us terminals are both rather faraway" Tours of the city are also

available, including cruises of thecoastal waters, and night trips by

bus"

Trains8aegu 7hr

8ae-eon 6hreoul /hr

9lights include"""eoul

Aangyangei-ing

henyang Cladivostok

hopping"agalchi, in $ampo*dong, is the

nation’s most famed fish market, andsells an almost bewildering range of

seafood" &nother fascinating

development is the colossalSinsaegae store, ne)t to 2aeundae

beach" In addition, medical tourismhas taken off, with beauty clinics

offering professional plastic surgeryand skincare"

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Russian 9ederationРоссийская Федерация

By far the largest country in the world, it should come as no surprise that *ussia has

almost limitless travel possiilities. he maesty of its cities, the depth of naturalwonders, the richness of its history < all of these riches and more are lying in wait.

itting between the <hinese northeast and the Korean peninsula, the Russian GTI region of@rimorsky Krai may appear small on a map of the country, yet is actually much larger in si'e thanthe 8@RK" The target for most travellers ( including those riding the famed Trans*iberianrailroad ( is the regional capital of Cladivostok, whose charming, hilly streets offer all the comfortand culture of a %uropean city" 2owever, there’s much more beyond to keep adventurous tourists

fascinated ( the coastline features offshore islands, fishing villages and remote lakes, as well assecluded beaches from which whales can be seen frolicking in the sea" 2eading inland, it’simpossible to miss a spine of richly forested mountains that thunder down the province fromnorth to south, criss*crossed by salmon*filled rivers, and sheltering rare and endangered animalssuch as the iberian tiger"

#andering the steep lanes of Cladivostok .p":=1 Taking a seal*spotting trip in Khasansky <ounty .p"::1

Getting away from it all in ikhote*&lin .p":61 potting iberian tigers near 4ake Khanka .p":61

5:



Getting to know Russia

&dventure travelRussia is by far the world’s largest country, so itonly stands to reason that it should offer a widerange of activities for adventurous souls" &llowus to start with the mountains" 4ofty rangessuch as ikhote*&lin .p":61 make for perfect

hiking terrain, enabling visitors to en-oy thescent of fresh air and the e)citement of remotetaiga ( go up into the hills for a half*day, orbring some tents, food and vodka for a week*long stay" The prevalence of large mammalsmean that this is also prime country for

wildlife-spotting ( while in the winter localsand visitors don their skis to glide down snow*

covered slopes"

&nd now from mountains to the sea, along@rimorsky’s range of crystal*clear rivers ( manyof these, particularly the !ssuri, offer the mi) of

beauty and unpredictability that rafters crave"The sea itself offers a range of activities fromrela)ing pursuits such as seal-spotting andcoastal treks to diving and other activeendeavours" &fter all this adventure, it’s possibleto cool off and wind down with a stay at a

@rimorsky beach"

9lora and fauna@ine*coated mountains home to umpteen animalspecies, salmon*filled rivers dropping down to a

lengthy coastline teeming with marine life, andskies filled with millions upon millions ofmigrating birds ( the sheer variety of flora andfauna found in @rimorsky Krai cannot bematched anywhere else in Russia’s vast land"

@rimorsky Krai’s rolling terrain bristles with largetrees, mostly pine, fir and birch, whoseevergreen nature gives the region colour

throughout the long winter" <ome springtime,countless varieties of wildflower add their ownhues and scents to the mi)" Of the many species

of fauna, perhaps most interesting is theSierian iger ( the largest of all the world’stigers, this beautiful and endangered animal stilllives in the @rimorsky wilds, as do other big catssuch as leopard and lyn"

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0 local animal species &sian lack ear

&mur 4eopard<hestnut*<heeked tarling

4ong*tailed GoralBanchurian 8eerBandarinka 8uck caly Goosander

iberian Roe 8eer#ild oar



The Trans*iberian railway@erhaps the most famous travel artery in theworld, the rans-Sierian railway racesacross Russia for almost 7=,===km, connecting%urope and &sia, and barrelling its way almost

one*third of the way across the %arth ( a map orglobe will never look the same once you’vemade this incredible overland -ourney"

Riding the full length of the Trans*iberian fromBoscow to Cladivostok .p":=1 will take aroundone week, heading through seven time :ones,

and passing glorious scenery all the way (mostly rolling taiga, interspersed with theoccasional town or river" This is travel at its mostsedate, a step back in time to the days beforeplane -ourneys made the world smaller" #ithfriends old or new, a little bit of alcohol and a

good book for private time, the -ourney flies bylike a dream, with travellers rocked to sleepeach night by the gentle rocking of their train"

Bany say that spring is the ideal season for aTrans*iberian ride, the aroma of iberianwildflowers fusing with the scent of fresh pine,then drifting in through the train windows"2owever, the trip is possible in any season, even

winter outside temperatures can drop to *5= o<,but cabin interiors remain warm enough to walkaround in flip*flops and shorts ( a bi'arree)perience with all the snow outside"

<arriages are highly comfortable, with fold*out

eds, restaurant cars and bathrooms" & teamof attendants known as provodnitsa.provodnik if they’re males1 are on handaround the clock to clean rooms, maintain theideal carriage temperature, and make tea orcoffee"

5;

0 Trans*iberian stops1oscow .start1

&ekaterinurg .7D73km16ovosiirsk .///:km1

Krasnoyarsk .5=0Dkm1/rkutsk .:7D:km1

8lan 8de .:356km13hita .3700km1

Khaarovsk .D:67km1 (ladivostok .06DDkm1



Travel logistics

Getting there

International airports Cladivostok 9rom <hina There are flights to Cladivostok from ei-ing and 2arbin,and trains to 2arbin, as well as several border crossings"9rom Bongolia There are flights and Trans*iberian trains to Boscowfrom !laan aatar, and several border crossings"9rom the ROK There are flights from eoul*Incheon and usan to

Cladivostok, as well as ferries from okcho to Jarubino"

#hen to go#hile the winter months ( $ovember to Barch ( may be free'ing in@rimorsky Krai, fre+uently seeing temperatures dropping as low as*/=o<, the rest of the year is +uite comfortable by comparison" BostRussians holiday during the summer months of >uly and &ugust, whichcan make train tickets and hotel rooms hard to book at short notice"Bany find spring best .&pril and Bay1, with the taiga erupting with wildflowers and wonderful aromas, though @rimorsky residents are proudestof their goldenL autumns"

Cisas#ith the e)ception of certain former <I nations, citi'ens of allnationalities re+uire a visa to enter Russia" &lthough the process isstraightforward, this can take a little time to arrange, so apply well inadvance" Aou may be re+uired to present a letter of invitation ( thiscan usually be arranged by your hotel, for a fee, when booking yourfirst night of accommodation" 9or an e)tra fee, some travel agencieswill make all necessary arrangements" #hen inside Russia, visas must

be registered within three days, a process that can be completed, fora fee, by your hotel" tays shorter than three days re+uire noregistration, and in addition those arriving in Cladivostok by cruise shipwill be able to stay on a transit visa for ;6 hours"

Getting aroundThe Trans*iberian train line finally comes to a halt in Cladivostok, andspurs of the line can be used to get to several other places in @rimorskyKrai" Other ma-or towns are accessible by us and some islands andcoastal 'ones are connected by ferry" 2owever, getting to the moresecluded parts of @rimorsky Krai is best done as part of an organisedtour there are numerous operators in Cladivostok, and other parts ofthe Russian 9ar %ast"

&ccommodation Cladivostok, the capital of @rimorsky Krai, has a range of hotels andguesthouses" Bid*range options can be found in most towns andcities, though in wilder areas it may be necessary to book a room at alodge or private home ( this is best done through a travel agency"

5D

9ood and drink borshch

beet and tomato soup with vegetables, sourcream and chunks of meat

shashlyk marinated meat grilled on a skewer

blinipancakes, served with a variety of fillingslosos

salmonvodkathe national drink, widely available

kvassslightly alcoholic fi''y drink made from bread

9estivalstar of @rimorsky, >ul

International dance festival in Cladivostok International ailing Regatta, &ug

tarting in $akhodkalavic <oast, &ug

ard music festival in lavyanka@acific Beridian, ep

9ilm festival in Cladivostok

Russian embassies andconsulates<hina ei-ing, hanghai, henyang, 2ong Kong

ROK eoul, usanBongolia !laan aatar, %rdenet, 8arhan

Russian basics+elloJdravstvuityeЗдравствуйте

!oodye8o svidaniyaДо свидания

hank youpasibo СпасибоSorry

I'vinityeИзвините

+ow much4kol’ko eto stoitE Сколько это

стоитE3heers5

Ja 'doroviyeF За здоровьеF/t7s delicious

Ckusno Вкусно3an you speak %nglish4

Cy govoritye po*angleeskiE Вы говорите по*английскиE

tatistics)opulation 756 million

)opulation of !* 6"7 million Area 7;"7 million km6

Area of !* 733 thousand km6

3apital city Boscow .осква13urrency Russian Ruble .руб1

Russia online6ational tourist oardtourism"ministm"gov"ru*egional tourist oard

tourprim"ru



@rimorsky Krai!ри"орский край

tourprim"ru R!

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R%BOT%BO!$T&I$

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C4&8ICOTOK Superly located etween 3hina, "apan and the Korean peninsula, )rimorsky Krai isone of *ussia7s most splendidly scenic corners. /t features over >,?00km of largelyunspoilt coastline, one pocked with isolated eaches and teeming with all forms ofmarine life < everything from lue whales to seairds. +ead inland and the choice is

no less vast, for the wild )rimorsky forests hold an astonishing variety of wildlife.

The @rimorsky capital of Cladivostok is one of Russia’s most tourist*friendly cities, and serves as aspringboard to other locations within the province" These include $akhodka and its surroundingbeaches, the tran+uil environs of 4ake Khanka, and the unspoilt wilderness of the ikhote*&linmountain range" @rimorsky Krai can also be used as a base for farther*afield Russian destinations

such as akhalin and Kamchatka, while its ever*improving international connections have

enhanced transport possibilities to other GTI nations"

T%B@%R&T!R% <2&RT C4&8ICOTOK

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Cladivostok Владивосток

(ladivostok is, ;uite simply, one of *ussia7s mosteautiful cities. /ts hilly, undulating streets are linedwith stunning uildings, many of which date from the

days of the tsars, while there are wonderful sea viewsfrom almost every corner.

This beauty is allied with importance and has found internationalfame as the terminus of the Trans*iberian railroad, whichstretches almost 7=,===km from Boscow" <losed to foreignersfor many years even after the end of the <old #ar, it is nowmaking a name for itself as a prime spot for tourism, trade andconventions ( in 6=76, it is due to host the &sia*@acific

%conomic <ooperation @A)%3 summit" It is also one of Russia’smost beautiful cities, with trams crawling along landscapedstreets lined with stunning buildings, some of which date fromthe days of the tsars"

9orts Cladivostok’s strategically important location has resulted in its being surroundedby over one hundred underground forts" Originally built to ward off potential>apanese attacks, some of these are now open as tourist attractions" ecause oftheir scattered nature, these are best visited on tours run by a number of localoperators" Those with less time on their hands can head to a dedicated ort1useum, which highlights the reasons behind their creation, and has relics fromthe old forts on show" %ach day at noon, there’s a traditional firing of a cannon"

ay views Cladivostok’s steep lanes and surrounding hills often provide fantastic views of)eter the !reat !ulf and its busy shipping lanes" These are available in manydifferent parts of the city, but by far the most popular viewpoint is at the end of

a funicular railway, -ust to the east of the city centre" &nother good place togo is iger +ill, -ust west of the train station ( the name carries echoes of theanimals that once roamed in this area, and still do so in remote parts of@rimorsky Krai such as ikhote*&lin .p":61" Those looking for a more rela)edroute to a view can slip behind the ferry terminal for a romantic night-timestroll"

4ocal islands Cladivostok’s home peninsula trails off into )eter the !reat !ulf and the seabeyond, on its way dissolving into a confetti of small islands" The closest of theseis little *ussky /sland, a mountainous terrain fringed with delightful eaches"This was closed to foreign visitors until 6==;, when its potential as a tourist drawwas recognised ( it has since been chosen as the host of the 6=76 A)%3summit" erries sail here from Cladivostok, though on completion of a newridge ( one of the world’s longest ( Russky Island will also be accessible bybus" & little further out to sea, and even smaller than Russky, is )opov /sland,

which has a population barely e)ceeding one thousand, and is a dacha favouritewith residents of Cladivostok"

:=

Travel information Cladivostok’s international airport isaround one hour away from the city

centre by bus" The city’s centraltrain station marks the eastern

terminus of the Trans*iberianrailroad .p"5;1, and has services to

Boscow and the many stations lyingon route, as well as the GTI

destinations of 2arbin .p"7=1 andRa-in*onbong .p":;1"

9lights include"""Boscow

t" @etersburgeoulusan2arbin

<ulture2istory



$akhodka#а$оMдка#ith mountains rising steeply from the sea, 6akhodka Bayoffers scenic pleasure to those willing to head that little bitfurther east from Cladivostok" Indeed, the eaches on offer are

even more pristine than those surrounding its neighbouring city ( come during warmer months, if at all possible" 8uring Cladivostok’s years or isolation, the port city of $akhodka was

the prime shipping 'one in the Russian 9ar %ast, and it remainsa hub of international trade to this day"

eaches uidlings dissolve into beaches -ust east of the city centre,including the popular alatari area" 2owever, to find the very

best beaches you’ll have to head a little further ( the bestnearby are those sitting -ust south of ivadiya, a small townwhich is about an hour west of $akhodka by bus" There arethree main stretches of beach here, with the main two both over6km in length"

Khasansky county%асаMнский райоMн+ugging up against the ')*K order is Khasansky

county, a splendidly natural area ideally suited to eco-tourism thanks to its protected coastline. +ere visitorscan fill their lungs with fresh sea air on a coastal walk, oreven plunge into the waters on a scua-dive.

On rare occasion, the waters of Khasansky county may be

punctuated by surfacing whales and dolphins, whileKhasansky’s mountains are home to rare species such as the 9ar%astern 4eopard" The hub of this area is the appealing port townof Slavyanka" 4ying -ust across the bay from Cladivostok.p":=1, this is a regular stopover for those travelling between the@rimorsky Krai capital and the region of Ra-in*onbong .p":;1,

-ust across the border in the 8@RK"

The small port village of aruino, with a population of lessthan 5,=== people, is a charming place to stay the night, and acomfortable place from which to soak up the delights of coastal@rimorsky Krai" Cisitors can stay at +uality beachside

accommodation, which boasts splendid surrounding scenery,with views east across the bay" Seal-spotting is possible here,as are day*trips to the 3hinese and ')*K orders"

:7

Travel information$akhodka is connected to Cladivostokby road, rail and ferry" uses formthe fastest and most fre+uent modeof transport between the two cities"

Travel informationBuses run from Jarubino and

lavyanka to Cladivostok, and therehave in the past been regular ferriesmaking the -ourney to Jarubino from

okcho .p"/31 in the Republic ofKorea"

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4ake KhankaоMзеро %аMнка &lmost 7==km in length, this colossal and visually stunninge)panse of fresh water spans two nations, and two !/regions ( most of it lies within Russia’s @rimorsky Krai, but the

northern shore belongs to the <hinese province of 2eilong-iang.p"01" The surrounding scenery is e)tremely beautiful, and onboth sides of the border, areas have been placed under

protection as national reserves" Rich in wildlife, the lake isparticularly important as a base for migratory irds such asducks, geese and swans, and though ideally suited to eco-tourism, local ventures are still in their infancy" 2owever, it’s+uite possible to take a tour here from Cladivostok, though thedistance involved ( almost 6:=km ( mean that tourists are

advised to stay the night" This may make it possible to see thenearby reserve at Gaivoron, which offers visitors the chance tosee one of the GTI region’s most important and uni+ue speciesof animal ( the endangered Sierian tiger" This is the world’slargest tiger subspecies, but numbers have been dwindling fordecades" 2ere, however, a special reserve has been set up for

these precious and beautiful creatures, and visitors are able tosee them at close +uarters"

ikhote*&linСи$отэM*&лиMньThis enchanting mountain range e)tends for almost 7===km,and provides refuge for an astonishing variety of animalsunparalleled in the rest of Russia ( here one can spot typicaliberian species such as raindeer and the brown bear, together

with tropical animals such as tigers" The range has found fameboth inside Russia and abroad Russian e)plorer Cladimir

&rsenyev described his adventures here in several books in the706=s, and in 70;: one of them ( 'ersu 8:ala ( was turnedinto an &cademy &ward*winning movie by famed >apanesedirector &kira Kurosawa" In between the books and the movie,part of the range was pocked full of holes by a colossalmeteorite, one of the world’s largest in living memory" @art of

the range has been turned into a dedicated nature reserve,and placed under the protection of !$%<O’s #orld +eritagelist" This can be visited in the company of park rangers, who willknow the prime locations for sightings of tigers and otheranimals native to the reserve"

:6

Travel informationIt’s possible to take a day*trip herefrom Cladivostok .it’s impossible tovisit independently1, but given the

distance from the city ( almost6:=km ( most will find it more

comfortable to stay the night atGaivoron or nearby passk*8alny by

taking an organised tour through Cladivostok operators" $ote that

there are order crossings on theside of the lake, though these are

currently for local traffic only"

Travel informationThe mountain range is as large as asmall country, but the park

head+uarters are in the town ofTerney, far to the north of

Cladivostok" It’s possible to take anorganised tour into the park ( some

Cladivostok operators offer HTigerland’tours, as well as trips to the southern

end of the reserve"

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The Russian 9ar %astДальний остоMк

he !/ region of )rimorsky Krai can also e used as a

springoard for a numer of attractions in *ussia7sscenic ar %ast. 3hief among these are the rugged andremote destinations of Sakhalin island and Kamchatkapeninsula, as well as the pretty rans-Sierian stopovertown of Khaarovsk.

Khabarovsk %абаMровскSitting pretty on the anks of the river Amur,Khaarovsk is one of *ussia7s most likeale cities, and apopular stopover for those travelling to ([email protected] on the rans-Sierian railroad @p.=D.

The riverside area is perfect for a stroll, and features asprinkling of interesting museums which detail everything fromlocal art, archaeology and wildlife to military history" It’s alsopossible to take cruise oats along the &mur river itself"Khabarovsk offers its visitors an e)cellent variety ofaccommodation and restaurants"

There are border crossings between Khabarovsk and the <hinese

!/ region of 2eilong-iang .p"01, making the city a possibleaddition to a multi-destination trip ( a daily hydrofoil headsacross the river to the <hinese border town of 9uyuan, fromwhere it’s possible to take a bus to 2arbin .p"7=1"

lagoveshchensk 'лаговеM(енскocated ust south of the rans-Sierian railroad @p.=D,this order town is highly popular with 3hinese tourists,

who come in great groups for shopping trips.

Russian locals do likewise, heading across the river to the<hinese city of +eihe, part of the !/ region of 2eilong-iang.p"01" 9rom 2eihe, it’s possible to take a train or plane to 2arbin.p"7=1"

:/

Travel information &ll of the places listed in this sectionbar lagoveshchensk can be reached

by plane from Cladivostok .p":=1,though Khabarovsk and

lagoveshchensk are also accessible

by train, and akhalin by ferry from Canino and northern >apan"

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akhalinСа$алиMнhis enchanting island stretches almost >000km northfrom "apan7s +okkaido, and is ideal for natureenthusiasts. here7s great hiking to e had on

innumerale pine-clad mountains, some of whichfeature ski resorts, while deep in the forests, ears feaston fish from countless streams.

& fair proportion of the local population are ethnic Koreans,stemming from the time when both the Korean peninsula andparts of akhalin were occupied by the >apanese" Today, theisland is reaping the benefits of the oil trade, funds from whichhave seen the beautification of many akhalin towns and cities,

most notably the pristine regional capital of &u:hno-Sakhalinsk " akhalin is accessible by plane from Cladivostok,though operators can organise tours to the island’s moreremote highlights"

Kamchatka)а"*аткаhis gigantic peninsula is not ust one of the scenichighlights of *ussia, ut one of the world7s most uni;ueand fascinating corners. +ere on Kamchatka, it seems asif the earth is still usily creating itself < do:ens of active

volcanoes spew out smoke and molten lava, giganticglaciers slowly gouge out new valleys, and rown earsfetch salmon from crystal-clear streams.

Kamchatka is pretty far from everywhere, though adventuretours don’t come much more adventurous" There are no roads

linking the peninsula to the Russian mainland, so flying in is theonly option, while the lack of roads on Kamchatka itself meansthat helicopters are the most common way of getting around" Cladivostok agents can make arrangements for tours toKamchatka"

The Trans*iberian Railroad9ew of the world’s rail -ourneys con-ure such magical images asthe famed Trans*iberian railroad" This runs for almost>0,000km from its beginning in faraway Boscow, a -ourneythat stretches almost a third of the way around the world, and

takes almost one week from start to finish" 8uring the trip, theeyes of passengers are glued to the fascinating scenery, whichvaries from season to season ( wintertime, for e)ample, seesthe route heavily lined with snow, while the coming of springsees the countryside e)plode in a riot of floral colours"

:5

Travel information Cladivostok .p":61 is the only ma-or!/ region city sitting on the line,

though at !lan*!de a spur branchessouth to the Bongolian capital of

!laan aatar, giving access to theregions of Khentii .p"6/1, ukhbaatar.p"6:1 and 8ornod .p"6;1" & secondspur heads from Russian iberia into<hinese Banchuria, passing the GTI

regions of 2eilong-iang .p"01, >ilin.p"761 and 4iaoning .p"7:1 on its long

trip to ei-ing"

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8@RK >?

he ')*K is, ;uite simply, one of the world7s most uni;ue and eciting traveldestinations. his is a land little visited and little understood y outsiders, many ofwhom mistakenly assume that it is actually impossile to visit.

Those who have made the effort and taken a trip to the 8@RK return with stories of untouchedmountains, pristine beaches, grand architecture, delicious meals and friendly locals, and the

knowledge that they have seen something truly different" Its northeastern corner, Ra-in*onbong,is now reaping the rewards of its prime location against the Russian and <hinese borders ( ever

more easy to access, it makes a fascinating addition to a tour of @rimorsky Krai or the <hinesenortheast"

eal*spotting on a boat ride in the sea .p":D1 %ating fresh seafood .p":D1

Rela)ing on unspoilt beaches .p":D1 #alking the shores of onbong lagoon .p":D1

::

© Martin at!o



Travel logistics

Getting thereInternational airports @yongyang .hub19rom <hina There are flights to @yongyang from ei-ing and henyang, as well as several border crossingsbetween <hina and the 8@RK, including one between >ilin and Ra-in*onbong"9rom Russia There are flights from Cladivostok to @yongyang, as well as a land crossing between Ra-in*onbong and @rimorsky Krai"

#hen to goBost visit the 8@RK in the summer, when the spectacular 1ass!ames is held in @yongyang" &utumn sees the country’s peaks andparks e)plode with colour, and temperatures are at their best wintercan be bitter, but it’s hard to visit at this time in any case, since mosttour groups cease operations for the season"

CisasOther than 3hinese citi'ens, who can travel visa*free, most travellersarrive in the 8@RK as part of a guided tour, since there are few otherways of entering the country ( ei-ing has numerous reputable outfits"

&ll travellers will re+uire a visa to visit the 8@RK, though this willusually be arranged by your tour operator" $ote that there areoccasional restrictions placed upon citi'ens of certain countries ( mostpertinently the !& and Israel ( and those with a -ournalistic or militaryprofession" <iti'ens of the *$K are usually only allowed to make briefvisits to areas near the 8BJ"

Getting aroundThe ma-ority of travellers have all transport arranged by their touroperator, and this is usually in the price of the tour package" Thosetravelling as part of a group tend to travel in the comfort of a tour us,while those on individual or small group tours may find themselves in aprivate vehicle" 4onger trips may make use of the 8@RK’s trainnetwork or internal flights, while visitors to @yongyang often get theopportunity to travel on one of the world’s least*visited suwaynetworks"

&ccommodation &s with transport, accommodation usually forms part of travellers’ tourpackages, and is arranged and paid for in advance by their touroperator" #here they e)ist, tourist lodgings are usually of a more thanacceptable standard, and some of the larger hotels have restaurants,karaoke rooms, trinket stands and even a bar or casino"

:3

9ood and drink naengmyeonbuckwheat noodles served in a spicy cold soup

hoeraw fishnak-i bokkeumoctopus fried in a spicy sauce

bibimbapegg and assorted vegetables on rice

bokbun-awild berry -uice, can also be alcoholic

maek-ubeer, of which several local varieties are

available

8@RK embassies andconsulates<hinaei-ing, henyangBongolia

!laan aatarRussiaBoscow, Cladivostok

tatistics)opulation 65"7 million)opulation of !* 7:= thousand

Area 767 thousand km6

Area of !* ;53 km6

3apital city @yongyang .@A1

3urrency $orth Korean #on .₩1

Korean basics+ello

&nnyeong haseyo 안녕 하세요

!oodye

&nnyeonghi gyeseyo 안녕히 계세요hank youGamsa hamnida 감사 합니다

SorryBian hamnida 미안 합니다

+ow much4

Olma eyoE 얼마 에요E

3heers5GeonbaeF 건배

/ts deliciousBashisseoyo 맛있어요

3an you speak %nglish4 Aong*eo halsuisseoyoE 영어 할수있어요E



Ra-in*onbongB'?C

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KOR%&$%$T%RT&I$B%$T

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he *ain-Sonong area hugs up against the *ussian and 3hinese orders, making ita prime inclusion on a multi-destination tour of the !reater umen region, especiallyso since the umen *iver itself is shared here y the three aforementioned countries,and spanned y the riendship Bridge, which links *ain-Sonong with *ussia7s

)rimorsky Krai.

Ra-in*onbong has been designated a pecial %conomic Jone, but tourism is increasing in linewith trade, for this is a place of natural, historical and cultural heritage" 4ofty, pine*linedmountains muscle their way down from the western border to a seashore lined with beaches andfishing villages, as well as pictures+ue @ipha Island" 9resh seafood is available all along this

indented, craggy coast, while accommodation and entertainment facilities are increasing all thetime"

&C%R&G% T%B@%R&T!R% R&O$

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i'e @opulation;53 km6 7:= thousand

© "oryo #our$



Ra-in B'2emmed in by mountains on all sides, the small but bustling cityof Ra-in looks out over a ay of the same name, where twounspoilt islands ( ochodo and Taechodo ( rise from the sea"Buch of the bay area in the immediate vicinity of Ra-in is taken

up with port facilities, and visitors usually spend some timetouring the colourful shipyards, watching everything from oiltankers to fishing boats come and go ( it almost goes withoutsaying that the super*fresh seafood should not be missed" It’salso possible to take a trip to see a special local variety offlowers being grown in the Kimongilia hothouse"

$amsanThis miniature mountain sits -ust to the east of Ra-in’s city centre ( a littlestrange, since its name actually translates as south mountainL" It’s a prettyplace for a walk, with its various trails providing pleasant views of the city to thewest, the sea to the south, and a spine of larger peaks ccto the east" There isalso a :oo in the vicinity"

Ra-inbando@lunging south from Ra-in into the sea, this Dkm*long peninsula features asurprising variety of natural wonders" #hile much its western flank is taken upwith industrial facilities, the eastern coast boasts a selection of eaches, whoseunspoilt nature may come as a shock to visitors" &ll face southeast, and as suchform e)cellent places to catch a misty Korean sunrise" 9urther south, thepeninsula finally dissolves into the sea in a spray of rugged rock"

onbong ?Citting a little further up the coast, the city of onbong is a littlesmaller than neighbouring Ra-in, but thanks to some top*notchhotels, this is where most visitors to the area base themselves"

everal are clustered -ust to the south, overlooking scenic )ipha

/sland, the city’s main drawcard"

<ultural sights<entral onbong is home to two ma-or sights showcasing local culture" 9irst isthe *evolutionary 1useum, which has a multidude of e)hibits pertaining tothe recent history of the 8@RK" >ust down the road is the +ouse of 3ulture, alarge theatre that puts on regular shows of song, dance and martial arts"

Tumen River area DEThe Tumen River, actually referred to in Korean as the Tuman,separates Ra-in*onbong ( and therefore the 8@RK as a whole (

from <hina and Russia" &fter a :==km -ourney, the river brushes

against Ra-in*onbong -ust before emptying into the sea, andthere are a number of sights here to keep visitors entertained"9irst are the shores of Sonong lagoon, the largest such bodyof water in Korea" This is home to a variety of creatures, and a -ourney around part of its 5=km*plus shoreline provides scenic

views" 2eading east, the Tumen wraps around the eastern flankof 8amsan, a seaside mountain loosely tethered to themainland" This is a great place to visit in the spring, when itsmany cherry trees are in full bloom"

:D

#ildlife spotting2eading on up the coast from onbong,

visitors will have the chance to spotvarious forms of wildlife" mall

mammals and occasional ears dwell inthe surrounding mountains, though themost visible forms of wildlife are out at

sea" & short boat*ride will bring visitorsto an offshore seal sanctuary, while alittle further from the shore is Al Seom,a small islet which tens of thousands of

seabirds call home"

© "oryo #our$

© "oryo #our$

<ulture

$ature

$ature



!/ umen Secretariat7*7*756 Tayuan 8iplomatic <ompound7 indong &venue, ei-ing 7==3==, <hina

www"tumenprogramme"org

Researched and written by Bartin Jatko

>uly 6=7=

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gti tourism guide

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