Jilin is referred to as a river city because of Boat Sailing on the Songhua River, a verse composed by Emperor Kang Xi of the Qing Dynasty during his inspection tour of the east. It is surrounded on all sides by the offset of the Changbai Mountains, and the Songhua River that flows in a S-shaped course through the urban area looks like a blue ribbon.

Jilin has a temperate continental climate, with four distinct seasons: a short, dry and windy spring, a hot and rainy summer, a fine and cool autumn and a long and cold winter.

The annual average temperature stays at about 4 degrees C. and the annual precipitation averages 650mm. Travelers will have many different reasons for a trip to Jilin city, but, if you are physically prepared for the bitter cold, a city tour in the ice-and-snow winter is probably best.

Jilin City is a hot spot of the Northeast tourism and has the following routes: the natural mountain and river route of one river-three lakes-Heavenly Pond(the Songhua River, the Songhua Lake, the Red Stone Lake, Baishan Lake, the Heavenly Pond of the Changbai Mountains; the folk customs route(the Koreans and the Manchus); the rime, ice and snow route(taking sledges, enjoying rime, skating and skiing, enjoying ice lanterns, colorful lanterns and river lamps).