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Voykit pocket guide · China
Yanji
延吉
Spend 2 days in Yanji to see the Korean Folk Customs Park, Dinosaur Museum and take a day‑trip to Tumen; longer only for ski season.
Yanji is a small, clean city in Jilin Province, the cultural centre of China's Korean minority. Its attractions are few but include a Korean folk park, two dinosaur museums and nearby nature spots. Transport is easy by taxi or bus, but English signage is limited, so a short stay works best.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 延吉
- Best months
- May–Oct (check for ski season closures)
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, limited bus service)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥150–250 excl. bed · Mid ¥300–500 excl. bed · High ¥800+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Taxi start (¥5) | ¥5–¥8 per km |
| Bus fare | ¥1–¥2 |
| Cold noodle (raengmyeon) | ¥10–¥15 |
| Dinosaur Museum entry | ¥50 |
| Head Mountain (free) | ¥0 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YNJ · Yanji Chaoyangchuan International Airport
- 6 km (3.7 mi) west of Yanji West railway station3.7 mi (6 km) west of Yanji West railway station
Typical fares
- Airport → city centre (taxi)
- ≈ ¥30, 15 min (check)
- Yanji → Tumen (train)
- ¥11, 15 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Taxis start at ¥5 and are plentiful; Didi ride‑hailing works at the airport. City buses cost ¥1–¥2, routes listed in Korean and Chinese, with service ending around 18:00. No shared‑bike system as of 2025.Taxis start at ¥5 and are plentiful; Didi ride‑hailing works at the airport. City buses cost ¥1–¥2, routes listed in Korean and Chinese, with service ending around 6:00 PM. No shared‑bike system as of 2025.
See and do
Known for
- Korean Folk Customs Park
- Yanji Dinosaur Museum
- Head Mountain (Mao'ershan)
- Local Korean‑style food
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tumen | High‑speed train from Yanji West to Tumen North, 15 min | ≈30 min total |
| Jilin City | Train, about 4 h, ¥70 | ≈4 h 30 min |
| Changbaishan National Nature Reserve | Bus or car, about 5 h | ≈5 h |
Sleep
- Baishan Mansion
- Budget hotel; price around ¥80–¥100 per person per night in low season
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 对不起duìbuqǐ |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxiè |
| How much? | 多少钱？duōshǎo qián? |
| Where is the bus stop? | 公交站在哪里？gōngjiāo zhàn zài nǎlǐ? |
| I need a taxi | 我要打车wǒ yào dǎ chē |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- English‑speaking staff are rare; carry a Chinese/Korean address card.
- Buses stop early in winter; plan travel before 18:00.
- Winter ski resorts close early November; check opening dates.
Generally safe; petty theft is rare, just stay alert on night buses and keep an eye on personal belongings.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Yanji yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Korean Folk Customs Park
- Yanji Dinosaur Museum
- Head Mountain (Mao'ershan)
- Local Korean‑style food
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Yanji, revision 5243969 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5243969
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/yanji). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.