Chángbái Shān Getting there & around

Getting there & away

The best time to visit Chángbái Shān is from mid-June to early September, when the roads to the nature reserve aren’t iced over.

An airport under construction near Sōngjiānghé is expected to open in 2008. In the meantime, there are two routes to Chángbái Shān: from the south via Tōnghuā (), or Shěnyáng or Dāndōng in Liáoníng province; and from the north via Yánjí.

There’s one direct train daily from Dāndōng and Shěnyáng to Sōngjiānghé and Báihé. Fares on this line include Báihé to Sōngjiānghé (Y7, two hours), Sōngjiānghé to Shěnyáng (seat/sleeper Y38/86, 11 hours) or Sōngjiānghé to Dāndōng (seat/sleeper Y55/117, 16 hours).

Several daily trains travel between Báihé and Tōnghuā (seat/sleeper Y21/60, six to seven hours), with a stop in Sōngjiānghé. From Tōnghuā, trains leave for Shěnyáng (seat/sleeper Y62/119, six to seven hours), Dàlián (seat/sleeper Y60/117, 13 hours) and Běijīng (seat/sleeper Y132/247, 17 hours).

From Yánjí, between June and September a direct bus to Chángbái Shān leaves at 5.30am and returns at 4pm (one way/return Y55/110). Otherwise, buses depart Yánjí for Báihé (Y33, four hours) daily at 6.30am, 8am, 10.10am, 12.20pm and 2.30pm; several buses return from Báihé to Yánjí between 5.30am and 2pm.

Báihé’s train station is north of Měirén Sōng Sēnlín (a forest filled with tall, elegant pine trees), while the rest of town is south of the forest; a taxi from the station into town is Y5. Buses leave from the long-distance bus station off the main street or from in front of the train station.

Sōngjiānghé’s train station is at the north end of town, about 2km from the main square. Minicabs take you between the station and the square or nearby hotels for Y2 to Y3.