The city of Baishan nestled in the Changbai Mountains is strengthening efforts to transform the tourism resort famed in China into one of the best-preserved forest ecosystem zones in the world.

The mountains were included in the UNESCO's International Man and Biosphere Reserve Network as early as 1980.

A cradle of the Manchu people, activities in Changbai Mountains were restricted by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in 1677. It was a forbidden land for more than 200 years, leaving a well-preserved forest ecosystem.