CHANGCHUN, CHINA

Must-see

1. Changchun Zoological & Botanical Park

Changchun Zoo is a large piece of land protecting a variety of land animals located at the center of the city. It is clean and well maintained. A spacious habitat for animals such as deer, lions, tigers, cheetahs, bears, foxes, monkeys, etc. At the center, you can see the man-made lake with a bridge connecting to another area of attraction. A half-day stroll is just enough to enjoy some activities giving you a chance to interact with the those animals. What is interesting about this zoo is it has protected two camels. I had experienced to ride on a two-hump camel, feed an elephant, a giraffe, deer, and a monkey. The zoo can be reached by a city bus for only 1 RMB. 

Best time to visit: Summer season

Location: No.2121 Ziyou Main Road, Nanguan District, Changchun 130022, China
Admission: 30 Yuan (RMB) or Php 206.7

2. Nanhu Lake Park
is located in the southwest of Changchun City, Jilin Province of China. A total of 220 hectare of land with a 93-hectare lake and a 53-hectare park. It is the largest park in the city, where the lake freezes up to a meter thick below, so everyone can enjoy skiing or ice skating. When it's summer, this place is haven for those who want to enjoy biking, walking along the paths around the lake, or jogging. 

Location: Southwest of Changchun City, China
Admission: Free

Food

I never expected that Korean food and beverage industry in China particulary in Changchun is thriving. You can see restos, bars, convenience stores, and English language academies owned by South Koreans in almost every corner of the city . It was astonishing to indulge in a Korean restaurant such as this with original Korean interior. I admit that it is identical to what I had in Beuyo, South Korea except to its spacious rooms for guests and a waitress assisting you all throughout your stay. The restaurant is equipped with with a nice exhaust system directly above the grilling machine. It serves Korean cuisine including samgyeopsal (thin slice pork), yache twigim (Korea's version of tempura mostly vegetables like carrots, green or red bell pepper, potatoes, etc), japchae (thick translucent noodles with Korea's very own taste), and dubu jjim (steamed tofu with gochukaru or pepper paste on top and onion spring). These are among the famous Korean shown on the photo but there's a lot to try. Although majority of these are pricy but they are worth the money.