Alpine Garden

Travelling is far more than sightseeing among mountains and rivers. Enjoying blooming flowers brings a special kind of pleasure. If you visit Changbai Mountain in summer without seeing the alpine garden, you will surely miss a wonderful experience. In mid-July last year, my friends and I climbed Changbai Mountain again. This time we were not heading for Heavenly Lake, but for the alpine garden.

I had long heard that above 1,800 metres on Changbai Mountain’s alpine tundra zone, besides extensive moss and other low cold-resistant plants, there are large stretches of wild mountain flowers. This trip fully satisfied my eyes. The wild blossoms include fiery alpine azaleas, graceful Changbai poppies, crystal ice gentians, bright golden saussurea, vivid red lilies and purple gentian. There are also tiny stone pines less than two inches tall and the famous immortality herb. These alpine wildflowers and countless nameless grasses form vast seas of blossoms for visitors to admire.

July and August are the peak blooming seasons. To further develop local tourism resources, the Tourism Bureau of Baishan City has held the Alpine Flower Festival here for two consecutive years. The event has grown larger each year with more creative arrangements, opening up a brand-new tourist attraction.

Such large alpine flower fields can be found not only on the western and northern slopes of Changbai Mountain, but also everywhere on the southwestern slope. If visitors ascend the mountain from Changbai County on the southwestern slope, they will discover a unique paradise. Apart from vast flower seas, tourists can also witness floating stones, sunken logs and upside-down root grass.

Most plants in the alpine garden are not merely ornamental; many are precious medicinal herbs. For instance, ice gentian contains various cardiac glycosides, used to treat heart failure, cardiac edema and pulmonary edema. Alpine stonecrop can tonify the body, cure senile heart failure, and produce good curative effects on diabetes, tuberculosis and anaemia. The leaves of alpine azalea can be used as medicine to astringe tissues, resist bacteria, induce perspiration and strengthen the heart. Snake grass works remarkably well against snakebites, hence the local folk rhyme: Find snake grass, fear no snake bite. Upside-down root grass boasts both ornamental and medicinal value, effective against uterine bleeding, bronchitis and anorectal diseases.

Changbai Mountain is home to thousands of Chinese herbal medicines, more than one hundred of which grow on the alpine tundra. Growing side by side with wild flowers, they form a distinctive bright scenic spot, an indispensable highlight of Changbai Mountain tourist resort.

Long after leaving the alpine garden, I remained immersed in the beauty of those blossoms. I felt truly fortunate to get close to them. Their breathtaking beauty makes me realize that these treasures belong not only to people around Changbai Mountain, but to the whole nation and the entire world