October was a month full of surprise. Not long after the first group of lawyers set off for Tengchong, the second group of 20 Party members and lawyers also started a five-day trip to Changbai Mountain. What “sparks” would be generated between the magnificent Changbai Mountain and the colorful autumn? Would we meet the ginkgo biloba in autumn or “the first snow in the wild of Changbai Mountain”?……

         Winter is still on the way, but the snow has reached Jilin. The Changbai Mountain was already wrapped in silver, with white trees.

      On the first day they arrived in Changbai Mountain, we ushered in its first wild snow, which disrupted the originally planned trip to the north scenic area.

      While waiting for the north scenic area to reopen, we started the first stop of this journey- Pumice Forest Scenic Area of Changbai Mountain. It is located in Erdao Baihe Town, Antu County, where it is lying in a large rift valley formed after a volcanic eruption and crustal changes. It is about 5,000 meters long and covers an area of 500 hectares, and is 6 kilometers away from the mountain gate of the North Scenic area. Due to natural weathering and rain water, more than 30 pumice forest landscapes of different sizes and shapes have been formed. Their scenery is known for beauty, strange, danger and secludedness, and integrates strange peaks and waterfalls, strange stones, dark rivers, springs, green trees, strange flowers and strange grasses, as well as primitive beauty, ecological beauty, and nature, which made we breathtaking.

      The extremely primitive natural landscape, the winding snow valley, the pouring of the world’s No. 1 spring in Changbai Mountain... all these are available in the wild luxury journey in the canyon pumice forest amidst the early snow.

     Wooden walls, wooden tiles, wooden chimneys, and wooden fences...At the foot of Changbai Mountain, there is a wooden house village that was built without brick or tiles and has been passed down from generation to generation for more than 300 years. This is Jinjiang Wooden House Village located in Manjiang Town, Fusong County, Baishan City, Jilin Province.

      The second stop of the journey was Jinjiang Village, the last wooden house village at the foot of Changbai Mountain. Originally called “Gudingzi”, Jinjiang wooden house Village, a national-level ancient village and a national key cultural heritage site, is a naturally formed village deep in Changbai Mountain. Located in the hinterland of Changbai Mountain, it is full of primeval forests with towering ancient trees that cover the clouds and the sun. It is the only remaining group of inherited Manchu wooden houses in the Northeast region and Changbai Mountain Area, as well as the best protected wooden house group discovered so far, and are called “Mukeleng” by locals. The use of wooden houses up to now reflective of inheritance by the locals and the wisdom of the Manchu ancestors who had excellent construction skills. During the Qianlong’s Eastern Tour, he saw the “Mukeleng” in the Changbai Mountain Area and the chimney called “Hulan” in Manchu, and praised with a poem: though the wooden chimneys are still old and vulgar, the paper-pasted windows are especially shining in the morning sunshine. In a basin, there is a ginseng which decorates the wooden house with its branches, leaves and seed. Here, we experienced riding a bull-drawn sledge to visit the wooden house village and felt the primary snow sports of the ancestors of the Northeast. In the village, we visited the house built entirely of wood and got the first-hand understanding of the ancestors’ wisdom that created such a magic.

      There was another beautiful place at the foot of the towering and magnificent Changbai Mountain. There, the scenery of mountains and rivers varied every step on the way; there, simplicity, honesty, quietness and comfortableness best described the local way of life; there, you can see the most beautiful rhododendron dauricum, warm and healing. The place is Changbai County, which is backed by Changbai Mountain and confronts Yalu River, known as the “first county at the foot of Changbai Mountain and the first city by the source of the Yalu River.” It is also the only Korean autonomous county in China. This small border county surrounded by mountains and rivers has distinctive regional characteristics, natural scenery, rich folk customs and profound cultural heritage. You can even see North Korea on the other side across the shallow and narrow Yalu River without binoculars.

      There is a folk saying that if you see Tianchi Lake the first time you come to Changbai Mountain, then you must be a lucky person. We were all exited when learned that we could see Tianchi Lake on the last day after the cancellation of the first day’s trip. The originally scheduled itinerary for the North Slope was changed to the West Slope due to the weather. We thought the plan was disrupted again, but was able to see Tianchi Lake with the most extensive view unexpectedly. Even if we had to brave the cold to climb the 1,440 steps on foot, no one exhibited a sign of fatigue. On the contrary, we were more spirited. We were amazed by the scenery, and hoped that the beautiful scenery would bring back all the luck to lawyers.

      In exploring the Tianchi Lake of Changbai Mountain, we not only enjoyed its beauty and mysterious stories, but also gained deepened understanding and respect for the natural environment. The beauty and mystery of Tianchi Lake of Changbai Mountain presented the magic and power of nature to people, and remind us that we must protect the environment and natural beauty to create a brighter future for mankind and the nature.

      The release, integration, new experiences and new discoveries during the journey allowed everyone to reshape their hearts and find themselves despite the business schedule. In the future, we will continue to devote to our work with professionalism and dedication, and make unremitting efforts to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of our clients and the fairness and justice of the law.