Jingpo Lake - The Largest Alpine Lava Lake in China with Appealing Winter Fishing Culture

Why Visit Jingpo Lake?

Located in the southwest of Mudanjiang City, Jingbo Lake (镜泊湖) is the highlight of the Mudanjiang River and one of the most popular summer resorts in northeast China. It is 45 kilometers long, with an average depth of 40 meters and a maximum depth of 60 meters. Formed by volcanic eruptions over 10,000 years ago, Jingpo Lake is the largest alpine lava lake in China. In 2015, Jingpohu was designated as one of the UNESCO Global Geoparks.

The winding Jingpo Lake is dotted with islands of different sizes. It is primitive and natural with infinite scenery all year around. In summer, visitors can raft on the open lake, enjoy the magnificent scenery of imposing Diaoshuilou Waterfall (吊水楼瀑布) and hike through the lush virgin “Underground Forest” at nearby Crater National Forest Park (火山口国家森林公园); In winter, the scenic area becomes a silver world. Glittering rime, translucent ice lake and solemn icefall are shining under the first ray of the morning sun. If lucky, visitors may also have a chance to see the traditional winter fishing and the most exciting cliff diving.

7 Days Amazing Northeast China Winter Tour with Changbai Mountain & Wusong Island

Itinerary: Harbin / China Snow Town / Jingpo Lake / Dunhua / Changbai Mountain / Jilin
Highlights: Ice and Snow World, Sun Island Scenic Resort, China Snow Town, Jingpo Lake, Changbai Mountain, Heavenly Lake, Wusong Island, St. Sophia Cathedral

Jingpo Lake Attractions

Jingpo Lake is the core scenic spot of Jingpohu Global Geopark of China (镜泊湖国家地质公园), which was designated as one of the Global Geoparks by UNESCO on September 18, 2006. The geopark is mainly composed of three parts: Hundred-mile Long Lake Scenic Area (百里长湖), Crater Primeval Forest Scenic Area (火山口原始森林) and Longquan Mansion Ruins of Bohai State (渤海国上京龙泉府遗址). The overall planning area is over 1,700 square kilometers. The scenery here is dominated by lakes and mountains. However, there are also other geological wonders such as subterranean primitive forests and underground lava tunnels, as well as historical and cultural landscapes represented by the ruins of Bohai State in the Tang Dynasty.

Jingpo Lake Scenic Area (Hundred-mile Long Lake)

• Ticket: Entrance Ticket CNY 80~100/person (vary between low season and high season); Jingpo Grand Canyon CNY 60/person
• Sightseeing Car: CNY 10/person (North Gate - the Jingpohu Villa Pier)
• Hundred-mile Long Lake Sightseeing Cruise: CNY 100/person (Jingpohu Villa Pier - Baishi Lazi), CNY 280/person (Nanhu Pier - Jingpohu Villa Pier)

Jingpo Lake is located in the Hundred-mile Long Lake Scenic Area. With lakes in the mountains and islands in the lake, Jingpo Lake is meandering in the shape of an "S". It used to be the ancient channel of the upper reaches of the Mudan River. About 10,000 years ago, volcanoes erupted in this area, forming the largest mountain barrier lake in China. Diaoshuilou Waterfall, Pearl Gate, Dagu Mountain, Xiaogu Mountain, Baishu Lazi, Chengqiang Lazi, Taoist Mountain and Laogua Lazi are the eight famous landscapes in Jingpo Lake.

Diaoshuilou Waterfall

Among the eight scenic spots of Jingpo Lake, Diaoshuilou Waterfall is the most famous one. It is one of the six waterfalls in China and the largest volcano lake fall in China. During the rainy season or flood season, the waterfall falls in several streams with a total width of more than 200 meters, which is heartshaking and magnificent. In winter, the waterfall becomes silent and solemn instead of roaring in summer. As the temperature drops, the water flows and the cliffs converge to form a spectacular ice waterfall. At the base of the cliff is the Black Dragon Pool, 60 meters deep. It takes a brave person to jump off the cliff in this world of ice and snow.

Jingpo Lake in Autumn ©Jingpohu / Wechat

Diaoshuilou Waterfall ©Jingpohu / Wechat

Crater National Forest Park (Underground Forest)

• Ticket: Entrance Ticket CNY 60/person, Sightseeing Car CNY 50/person

Crater Forest Park is located 50 kilometers northwest of Jingpo Lake. Here, you can meet the underground primeval forest belt formed by the collapse of the volcano 10,000 years ago. Crater Forest Park is mainly composed of four scenic spots: Small North Lake, Crater Forest, Lava Cave Group and Yuanyang Pool, among which the Crater Forest is the most famous one. When you climb to the top of the volcano, 10 huge craters will suddenly appear. These craters are distributed from northeast to southwest, with diameters ranging from 400 to 550 meters on a narrow strip about 40 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide. Among them, Crater 3 is the largest. Volcanoes here vary in size and shape, like a basin, a well and a dustpan.

Crater National Forest Park ©Xiongmaomanyou / autohome.com

Bohai State Ruins

• Ticket: CNY 35/person

Bohai State was a local regime established by the Sumo tribe of Mohe nationality in northeast China in the Tang Dynasty. It was founded in 698 A.D. and destroyed by the Khitan tribe in 926 A.D. Shangjing Longquan Mansion is the capital of Bohai State. Its structure and scale completely imitated Chang’an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty. It is rectangular in shape and layer by layer, divided into the outer city, the inner city and the palace city. The ruins have a history of more than 1200 years, which is the best-preserved historical site in Mudanjiang City. The sites still visible today include: Shangjing Longquan Mansion, ancient wells, Jinyuan, ancient tombs, ancient bridges and Xinglong Temple, etc. Among them, Xinglong Temple (兴隆寺), commonly known as "South Temple", is the best preserved one.

Bohai State Ruins ©baike.baidu.com

Things to Do in Jingpo Lake

Summer

• Take a cruise and enjoy the "eight sights of Jingpo Lake";
• Watch the magnificent Diaoshuilou Waterfall pours down over the cliffs;
• Hike through the Primeval Forest and appreciate the diverse volcanic landform;
• Taste the freshest whole fish feast to satisfy your taste buds;
• ......

Magnificent Diaoshuilou Waterfall ©Jingpohu / Wechat

Winter

• Appreciate the stunning scenery of the frozen Diaoshuilou Waterfall;
• Don’t miss the winter sunrise at Diaoshuilou Waterfall, the gentle rays of the morning sun, translucent icefall, steaming mist and crystal rime create a memorable landscape;
• Ride on a snow hoop pulled by a tractor and gallop across the ice lake;
• Experience the most traditional winter fishing and learn more about the local fishing culture;
• If lucky, you may also have a chance to see the winter cliff diving performance at Diaoshuilou Waterfall;
• ......

Cliff Diving at Diaoshuilou Waterfall in Winter ©Jingpohu / Wechat

Jingpo Lake Weather & Best Time to Visit

Jingbohu Global Geopark in Heilongjiang province belongs to the temperate continental monsoon climate zone with four distinct seasons. Dry and windy spring; warm and rainy in summer; Autumn is short with abundant sunshine; Winter is long and cold. The annual average temperature is 3.6℃, the highest temperature is 36.2℃, the lowest temperature is -36.7℃. The annual average rainfall is 506.4 mm, and the rainy season is concentrated in July and August. The freezing period of the lake is normally from early December to late April 20.

As one of the best summer resorts in northeastern China, Jingpo Lake is suitable to visit in summer. Besides summer, winter is another high season of Jingpo Lake. Although the place is frozen in winter, there are still countless travelers and photographers coming here for the stunning scenery of icefall, rime, the frozen lake and the interesting culture of winter fishing.

Transportation & How to Get to Jingpo Lake

Jingpo Lake is located in the southwest of Mudanjiang city (about 100 km), about 400km southeast from Harbin, 400km northeast from Changchun and 300km northeast from Jilin City. There is no high-speed train to Jingpo Lake Scenic Area, so the most convenient way to get there is by car/bus. Most tourists are from Harbin, Jilin or Changchun. They prefer visiting Jingpo Lake together with other highlights around, such as China Snow Town (about 70km), Wusong Island (about 200km) and Changbai Mountain (about 220km), etc.

More information about how to get to Harbin, Jilin and Chengchun, please visit Harbin Transportation | Jilin Transportation | Changchun Transportation >>

Get to Jingpo Lake

By Car: There is a well-established highway connecting Jingpo Lake with cities in Dongbei area, which takes about 1 hour from Mudanjiang City, 4.5 hours from Harbin, 3.5 hours from Jilin and 4.5 hours from Changchun.
By Bus: There are long-distance buses to Jingpo Lake from Mudanjiang Railway Station (牡丹江火车站), normally leave in the morning and return in the afternoon and the whole journey takes about 2 hours.

Get around Jingpohu Global Geopark

There is a sightseeing bus station at the north gate of Jingpo Lake Scenic Area. There are sightseeing buses to the Crater National Forest Park (about 30 minutes) and sightseeing trains to the Jingpo Grand Canyon. (Notice: sightseeing buses and trains both require extra payment.)

Get around Jingpo Lake Scenic Area: There are sightseeing buses and cruises (June to October) in Jingpo Lake Scenic Area. You can also choose to visit the scenic area on foot.
Get around Crater National Forest Park: The gate of the park is about 20 kilometers away from the main scenic spot. Private cars are not allowed to enter, so travelers need to take the sightseeing buses (extra payment: CNY 50/person) to get there.

Private Tour with China Discovery (Top Recommended)

If you want to get rid of the hustle of public transportation and troublesome navigation, you can book a private tour package which covers sightseeing, dining, accommodation and transfer from us. Our local tour guide and driver will escort you to Jingpo Lake with speed and convenience, and our English-speaking guide will take care of all the details and accompany you the whole journey. You just need to focus on sightseeing. Feel free to contact us if you need any help!

7 Days Amazing Northeast China Winter Tour with Changbai Mountain & Wusong Island

Itinerary: Harbin / China Snow Town / Jingpo Lake / Dunhua / Changbai Mountain / Jilin
Highlights: Ice and Snow World, Sun Island Scenic Resort, China Snow Town, Jingpo Lake, Changbai Mountain, Heavenly Lake, Wusong Island, St. Sophia Cathedral

More Jingpo Lake Travel Tips

1. Jingpo Lake Rime Photography Tips: From November to next March, half an hour before sunrise and two hours after sunrise are the best time to for taking photos of rime. Area around Diaoshuilou Waterfall is the most popular location for photography.

2. Jingpo Lake Winter Fishing: Visitors can enjoy the lively big net fishing and small net hanging shows every day from December to February, normally between 10:00 and 11:00 in the morning.

3. Cliff Diving Performance: There are two diving performances every day, one at around 10:30 a.m. and one at 14:00 p.m. (Please notice: The show may be subject to change or cancellation under special circumstances.)

How to Plan a Jingpo Lake China Tour

It only takes several hours to half a day to explore Jingpo Lake Scenic Area. If you are visiting the place in summer, you can spend the other half day visiting the Crater National Forest Park.

However, for most travelers, they prefer to visit Jingpo Lake together with highlights in Heilongjiang province and Jilin province, such as Harbin, Jilin, Changchun, Changbai Mountain, China Snow Town, Wusong Island and Yabuli Ski Resort, etc. A classic northeast China winter tour normally takes 7 days.

☛ 7 Days Amazing Northeast China Winter Tour with Changbai Mountain and Wusong Island

For those who are interested in history and culture, you are recommended to extend your trip to Liaoning province (1~2 days), visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites - the Shenyang Palace Museum and The Three Imperial Tombs of the Qing Dynasty in Liaoning, etc. If you are traveling in summer, the coastal city - Dalian (1~2 days) is a good place for spending a relaxing vacation.

☛ 8 Days Northeast China Tour with Harbin Ice & Snow Festival

China boasts a lot of wonderful nature, culture, history and city charm to discover, such as Beijing, Xi’an, Guangzhou, Guilin, Chengdu, Yunnan, Guizhou, etc. Extend your Dongbei trip to more popular destinations to enrich your exploration of China in one go!

☛ Feel free to contact us and tailor your trip

China Snow Town

Wusong Island