The combination of Korean pine trees, broadleaf trees and other trees shows us a unique beauty of the Changbai Mountain. Along the JingJiang Valley on the western side of the Changbai Mountain, there is a wide variety of plant species. Besides the native Korean pine,there are also the Amur linden, Mongolian oak, Japanese elm, maple, birch and more. Thanks to a favorable growing environment, the forests are dense, full of primeval views. The seasonal changes to the thriving mixed forest adds enchantment to the mountains.

In China, there are only two well preserved primeval forests of Korean pine; one is on the Lesser Xing'an Mountains, the other here on Changbai. The Korean pine's favored medium is black humus earth, and habitats such as gentle slopes, steep peaks, or fiat gullies and valleys are all suitable. Its bark is reddish brown with some grayish black texture. The timber has a close-grained, light and soft texture, with a slightly red tinge. The Korean pine gets its Chinese name hongsong(red pine)because of its reddish timber. Its best feature is its stable and straight grain SO that it won't change shape, regardless of humidity or dryness.

Korean pine is native to northeast China. It is a member of the white pine group, which is characterized by leaves (needles) in fascicles of five. It is an old subgenus of pine. In the primeval forest of Changbai, the Korean pine stands tall, together with other species such as little seed spruce, Korean spruce, Amur linden, birch, and Manchurian ash. Below these trees, there are over 20 underbrush species such as corylus mandshurica. At ground level the herbaceous species are even more diverse.

Every year, in late June a yellow smoke spreads over the whole primeval pine forest like a vast yellow umbrella. This yellow smoke is the pollen of thousands of tall Korean pines, bearing countless male and female flowers, the male flowers lower down and the female higher up. In early summer, when the flowers open, yellow pollen from the male flowers flies skyward, each tiny pollen grain equipped with two small air cells that make it lighter than air. Thus it can fly up to the female flower, and to the sky above the forest, drifting with the airflow. This is the yellow smoke we see.

To enjoy and savor the group beauty, the individual beauty and the primeval beauty of Korean pine here you must go to Lushui River. There, in a forest by the river, stands "the King of Korean Pines' 0ver 480 years old. The tree is 35.5 meters tall and has a l.24-meter-diameter trunk. According to historical materials, the Changbai volcano erupted in l597, 1668 and 1702. This tenacious "King of Korean Pines" is not far away from the Tianchi Lake but has survived all these disasters.

The Lushui River seed stand of Korean pine¡£programmed by the government in l 964, has all area of 11,764 hectares and is the largest in China. It is a natural excellent gene bank.

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