The Korean Autonomous Prefecture, known as Yanbian, is a self-governing, ethnic Korean region of eastern Jilin Province, northeast China. It sits next to the border with North Korea and has Yanji as its busy capital.
The Korean Autonomous Prefecture contains most of the almost two million Korean contingent that lives in China. Until recently, the area was generally closed off to foreign tourists although is now fairly relaxed. Anywhere outside the main areas will be tough-going unless you speak Korean or Mandarin.
Much of the Korean Autonomous Prefecture is covered with green areas, and Yanji itself has many large parks to relax in. Yanji People’s Park and Youth Lake Park are the main ones.
You can get across to North Korea through the Korean Autonomous Prefecture and many visitors, both Chinese and foreign, get on multi-day tours from Yanji. The Ancient Tombs at Longtou Mountain are also worth a look for their Balhae archaeological merit, while the UNESCO Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve lies just outside the region.
Getting There & Away
The best way to get to the Korean Autonomous Prefecture is by flying to Yanji. Yanji Chaoyangchuan Airport is connected to the city by bus and taxi and receives flights form Beijing (2 hours, 30 minutes) and from elsewhere in the region. Trip time by train to Yanji Zhan from Beijing is 24 hours or 10 hours from Changchun.