Changbai Mountains

Changbai Mountains
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	长白山
Traditional Chinese	長白山
Literal meaning	Perpetually White Mountain Region
Transcriptions Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Chángbái Shāndì Wade–Giles Ch'ang-pai Shan-ti
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl	장백산맥
Hancha	長白山脈
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Jangbaeksanmaek McCune–Reischauer Changpaksanmaek
Manchu name
Manchu script
Romanization	Golmin šanggiyan alin

Sanjiaolong Crater Lake in the Longwanqun National Forest Park, Huinan County

The Changbai Mountain Range are a mountain range on the border between China and North Korea (41°41' to 42°51'N; 127°43' to 128°16'E). In Russia this range is called "Vostochno-Manchzhurskie gory" ("East Manchurian mountain range") and considered as a part of more long Manchu-Korean mountain range ("Manchzuro-Koreiskie gory"), which separates China from Korea and Russian Primorsky Krai. The range extends from the Northeast Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning to the North Korean provinces of Ryanggang and Chagang. Most peaks exceed 2,000 metres in height, with the highest mountain being Changbai Mountain.

History

The range represents the mythical birthplace of Bukūri Yongšon, ancestor of Nurhaci and the Aisin Gioro Imperial family, who were the founders of the Manchu state and the Chinese Qing Dynasty. The name literally means "Perpetually White Mountain Region" in Mandarin Chinese.

Changbaishan Nature Reserve, established in 1960, was involved in the UNESCO's "Man and Biosphere" program in 1980 and becomes part of the world's biosphere reserves. Approved by the State Council in 1986, it becomes a State-level reserve.

Economy

The range plays an important economic role. It is known for a variety of ginseng that grows there. In addition, the heavily forested slopes are an important area for logging. In recent years, tourism has also become an increasingly important source of revenue on the Chinese side.

Geography and climate

The highest mountain is Baekdu Mountain (2,745 m), an active volcano which is also known locally in China as Changbai Mountain. Baekdu Mountain is the source of the Songhua, Tumen (Tuman) and Yalu (Amnok) rivers. Many tributaries of the Liao He also originate from the Changbai Mountains.

The climate in the mountains is very cold during winter, with absolute minima on the highest peaks in January as low as −45°C (−49°F), but reaching 17°C (62°F) in July. Precipitation is low in the winter but in the higher parts very high in the summer, with annual averages reaching as high as 1,150 mm (45 inches) and over 300 mm (12 inches) in July alone. The dry winters mean there are no glaciers even on the highest and wettest peaks, but permafrost extends down to 1,800 metres (5,900 feet) and is continuous on the highest peaks.

The Changbai Mountains has a temperate continental climate, characterized by long and cold winter, cool, short and changeable summer, windy spring and autumn foggy, with an annual average temperature at -7 °C to 3 °C. Under the impact of vertical changes of mountainous terrain, there are four landscape belts from the foot to the top of the mountain, from Temperate Zone to Frigid Zone, which is rare in the world.

Flora and fauna

Painting from the Manchu Veritable Records

The rugged terrain of the Changbai Mountains provides refuge for many rare animals, including Amur leopards, bears, and Siberian tigers. A large portion of the Jilin Province side is protected as the Changbai Nature Reserve (長白山自然保護區), which covers more than 2,100 square kilometres.

The vegetation of the mountain slopes is divided into several different zones. At the top, above 2000 metres, tundra predominates. From 1700 to 2000 metres, vegetation is dominated by mountain birch and larch. Below this zone, and down to 1100 metres, the dominant trees are spruce, fir, and Korean pine. From 600 to 1100 metres, the landscape is dominated by mixed forest, consisting of Amur linden, Korean pine, maple, and elm. Further down, a temperate hardwood forest is found, dominated by second-growth poplar and birch. (Liu et al., p. 3388).

Protected areas

• Longwanqun National Forest Park

See also

• Baekdu Mountain
• Changbai Waterfall
• Geography of China
• Geography of North Korea
• List of mountains in Korea

References

• Liu, Q.J., Takamura, T., Takeuchi, N., Shao, G. (2002). Mapping of boreal vegetation of a temperate mountain in China by multitemporal LANDSAT imagery. International Journal of Remote Sensing 23(17), 3385–3405.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Changbai / Baekdu.

• World Wildlife Fund (2001). "Appenine deciduous montane forests". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08. 
• UNESCO profile of Changbaishan Biosphere Reserve
• changbaimountain.com

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Coordinates: 41°43′59″N 128°04′01″E / 41.733°N 128.067°E / 41.733; 128.067