Having a history of over one million years, the world-famous Changbai Mountains in the east of Jilin Province, run northeast to southwest along the China — Korea border and Jilin Province for approximately 1,000 kilometers with its center of the Changbai Mountain volcanic groups based on the Tianchi Lake. It is the source of the three Rivers of Songhuajiang, Tumenjiang and Yalujiang. With an area of 190, 000 hectares, the Changbai Mountains Nature Reserve was founded in 1961 and then included in the UNESCO Man and Biosphere in 1980. It is a green mine of species and a nature solid museum. According to statistics, the Reserve houses over 1,800 species of higher plants, over 50 species of beasts, over 280 species of birds, 50 species of fishes and over 1,000 species of insects. Be-low 1,100 meters above sea level, the mixed Korean pine forests are still kept in a virgin nature appearance, and here' also grow Changbai red pine, spruce, fir and spreading yew. Between 1,100 and 1,800 meters above sea level, there are coniferous forests consisting of spruce, fir, bryphte shrub and Changbai larch. Between 1,800 and 2,100 meters above sea level, there is a dense Ermans birch forest. The climate in this area is closely similar to polar climes, which is the only one of its kind in the estern Eurasian continent. The depth of forests in the' Changbai Mountains abounds in medicinal plants, such as ginseng, north fruit of Chinese magnoliavine. There are also a variety of wild animals including some endangered ones, such as Northeast China tiger, wapti, sable, otter, black bear and many birds, of which migrants are mandarin duck, black stork and green—headed duck, accounting for 70 percent of the total birds in the Reserve.