Yanji

Yanji (Chinese: 延吉 Yánjí, Korean: 연길 Yeon-gil) is a city in Jilin Province.

Understand

Koreans first migrated to the Yanji area after a series of famines struck in 1869. The area, called the Yanbian Chaoxianzu (Korean) Autonomous Prefecture, is the home of the largest group of ethnic Koreans living outside of Korea, and while there are a small number of expatriates from North and South Korea, most of the Koreans living here hold Chinese, not Korean citizenship. Since large areas of Yanbian were off-limits to travelers, the tourist facilities and people who speak English are kind of non-existent, but that is changing.

Unlike other Chinese cities, this little city is relatively clean and peaceful. You can find quite many cafes for this little city where serves good coffees and also you will see many tea houses (茶坐) around the city.

Talk

Unsurprisingly, due to its large Korean population, the Hamgyong dialect of Korean is widely spoken in Yanji. However, most ethnic Koreans in Yanji will be bilingual in Mandarin and Korean, so Mandarin-speaking visitors should not have much of a problem. All official signs will also be written in both Chinese characters and Korean hangul.

Get in

By plane

• 🌍 Yanji Chaoyangchuan International Airport (YNJ  ^IATA) (6 km west of the train station). Flights are available to all major Chinese cities and Seoul, South Korea on a daily basis from the airport.  

By train

Yanji Zhan

• Beijing - takes about 24 hours
• Changchun - takes about 10 hours

By bus

Dongbeiya Keyun Zhan Location: Chang Bai Lu, northeast of the train station

• Chang Bai Shan - takes about 3-5 hours

Yanji Zhan Parking Lot

• BeiHe - takes about 4 hours

Get around

Minibuses and normal size buses for ¥1. Taxis' basic fee is ¥5.

See

• Longtou Mountain. 

Do

It is possible to visit the North Korea, and in particular Rason on visa free 1-4 day trips. Companies such as British run Koryo Tours or Young Pioneer Tours can help arrange these trips for as little as a few hundred euro.

Hiking in Mt Baektu, there are a few direct tourist buses from Yanji city to a few of the most beautiful areas in the mountains, the price is as low as a few EURO.

If you spend a couple of nights in this little city, you can check a small amusement park right next to the bridge of Yanxi st. (延西街). A dozen small rides, and lots of beer stalls.

Buy

Famous for pine mushroom. There are lots of shops in front of the train station.

Eat

Cold noodle; the characteristic food of Korean-Chinese,authentic taste is nowhere else to be found. Sweet, cold, a bit spicy at the same time. Price is ¥10-15. Find the sign "冷面". Some are around Renmin Road and Guangming St.

Also this city is famous for other Korean cuisines, like BBQs (including Korean BBQ韩式烧烤、yanbian chuan 延边串) and Shenjitang (参鸡汤), herbs and ginseng chicken soup with boiled rice in it (samgyetang in Korean). Also, lots of 'dog meat (狗肉)' restaurants are in the city, too.

Drink

Under South Korean influence, you can find a number of decent cafes around the city and it's a lot more than other closer bigger cities. Few clubs are scattered in the city, mostly South Korean DJs are playing Korean pop.

Hands Coffee 핸즈커피 含旨咖啡, Xintian Building No. 103 Aidan-Road 743 爱丹路743号鑫田大夏103室, ☎ [phone]. This small cozy cafe is pleasant and peaceful, which is quite rare in northeast China. It's a branch of a South Korean coffee franchise company. Serves various kinds of coffees (espresso based and hand drips), smoothies, cakes and fresh fruit juices in reasonable price. Waiters will greet you in Korean, but English menu is available. Free Wi-fi. It's next to the north bus station. Although the signboard is only in Korean, you can easily find it by its bright yellow door on the north side of Aidan Road. Americano ¥15. 

Star Box, Gongyuan Road and Yanji St. Aide Dept. Store 10F 公园路和延吉接 爱得百货10楼. A nightclub for young folks. Crowded after 10PM. South Korean DJs are playing speedy K-Pop. Even though a draft beer is ¥15 at the bar, there are ¥200, ¥300 liquor sets that you can order if you occupy a table. People do dance, but the stage is small, lots of tables. Endless small shows by Korean DJs and other entertainers. Draft beer from ¥15. 

Respect

Despite holding Chinese citizenship, the ethnic Koreans in Yanji generally share a common culture with their North and South Korean counterparts. Various points in the respect section of the South Korea article also apply when interacting with the Yanji Koreans.

Sleep

Like many other Chinese cities, foreigners are only allowed to stay in the places that meet 'the standard', even if there are plenty of cheap inns. It means you have to pay above ¥100 per person in high season (in low season, it would be around ¥80). If it says inn (Luguan, 旅馆), foreigners are not likely allowed to stay. If it says hotel or motel (宾馆, binguan) you might be able to stay there, but it's more expensive than those small inns (normal inns are ¥20~50 for a room) However there's one option below ¥100 for foreigners.

• Shi Shang Motel (binguan) 时尚宾馆, 30 meters South from Lihua elementary school (梨花小学校, Lihua Xiaoxuexiao), at the south end of Yuanhong Hutong （园虹胡同）, on 2F, ☎ [phone]. This little but clean motel is the best deal for a budget (foreign) traveler. A double room with a computer (internet available) and an inside toilet/hot shower with no window starts at ¥50 yuan in high season. The cleanest sheets and towels than other more expensive hotels. The city center is in walking distance and the creek next to it provides a good walk path. The amusement park on riverside and the nightclub Star Box is also in walking distance. If you planned to take a taxi, don't say the road name but say Lihua Xiaoxuexiao (elementary school) since it's more famous than the names of little allies. 
• Baishan Mansion, 2 Youyi Rd., Yanji City, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. 
• Cha Er Si Hotel 查尔斯宾馆, At the intersection of Changbai Road and Zhanqian Road, three blocks north of the train station and three blocks west from the bus station. Look out for a large, black neon sign saying karaoke and hotel.. The reception on the first floor is for a different hotel, instead take the elevator to the 3rd floor for the correct one. Cheapest room is ¥139 and some come without window. You can get about ¥15 discounts if you plan to stay more than 3 days (need to get a membership card). Rooms are equipped with computer, a TV and with a bathroom inside. Water pressure is poor. Karaoke Bar is in the same building, so it can be a bit noisy around 11PM to 1AM. Close to the train station as well as one of the bus stations, but not a good location if you want to hang around in the city center. The airport is a short taxi ride away that shouldn't cost more than ¥10-20. 

Connect

While there are plenty of internet cafes around, you will be required to have a Chinese ID in order to use them. A foreign passport will not suffice unless you get lucky. The easiest way to get access may therefore be to get a hotel room which provides it.

Go next

Yanji is the gateway for Changbaishan National Nature Reserve, about 5 hours southwest of town.

• Jilin - takes about 4 hours - ¥70 for a ticket.
• Longjing - takes about 30 min - ¥5. Longjing is a small village where Korean famous poet Yun Dong-Ju lived. Occationsal buses go from the north bus terminal on Aidan Road.