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The Changbai mountains run northeast to southwest along the Chinese-Korean border for about a thousand kilometres. The highest peak, Baitou Shan, at 2744m, is the tallest mountain on the eastern side of the continent, and with its long, harsh winters and humid summers, this is the only mountain range in east Asia to possess alpine tundra. The huge lake, Tian Chi , high in the Changbai mountains, is one of the highlights of Dongbei, and the area around, the Changbai Shan Nature Reserve , with jagged peaks emerging from swathes of lush pine forest, is beautiful and wild. This is remote, backwater China, difficult to get to even with the recent growth of a tourist infrastructure to shuttle people from the nearby cities to the lake and back again. Heading a little off the tourist track into the wilderness is the way to get the most out of the area, though you'll need to come well prepared. Established in 1961, the nature reserve centres on the magnificent waters of Tian Chi, at the summit of Changbai Shan, and covers more than 800 square kilometres of luxuriant forest, most of which lies between 500 and 1100 metres above sea level. At the base of the range, the land is dense, with huge Korean pine trees, which can grow up to 50m tall, and mixed broadleaf forest. The rare Manchurian fir is also found here. Higher altitudes are home to the Changbai Scotch pine, recognizable by its yellow bark, and the Japanese yew. As the climate becomes colder and damper higher up, the spruces and firs get hardier before giving way to a layer of sub-alpine grassland with colourful alpine plants and tundra. Animal species on the reserve include the leopard, lynx, black bear and Siberian tiger , all now protected, though decades of trapping have made them a rarity. Notable bird species include the golden-rumped swallow, orioles and the ornamental red crossbill. The area is rich in medicinal plants, too, and since the eleventh century has been a focus of research. The Chinese regard the region as the best place in the country for ginseng and deer antlers, both prized in traditional remedies, and, recently, the reserve's rare lichens have been investigated as a treatment for cancer. Visitors, mostly domestic tourists, South Koreans and Japanese, come here in great numbers, and a tourist village has grown up, with the result that the scenery is somewhat marred by litter, souvenir stalls and hawkers. Not all visitors are here for the scenery; plenty come to search for herbs, and many of the Japanese are here to catch butterflies (to keep) and ants (to eat). When the day-trippers have left, though, it's peaceful, and there are plenty of opportunities to hike around far from the crowds
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