Changchun, located northeast of Beijing, is the capital of Jilin province. It is a Chinese version of a combination of Detroit and Hollywood. It has China's largest motor vehicle plant and its biggest film studio.
(Click for Map of Jilin Province with Changchun Location)
Located in the center of the northeast plain, Changchun, meaning "eternal spring", was first settled more than 1,000 years ago. But it did not develop much until the turn of this century. The city grew enormously in the 1930s after it was made the capital of the Japanese puppet state, Manchukuo, during the Japanese military occupation of the area (1930--1945).
(Click for Changchun City Map)
Changchun has witnessed rapid development since the founding of the People's Republic in 1949, and has become a major industrial and cultural city in China. It has few sites of historical values or ancient monuments to offer tourists. But if you are interested in how cars and trucks are made in China, then you can visit the No. 1 Automobile Plant. If film-making interests you, you can arrange a tour of the Changchun Film Studio, the same way you visit the Universal Studio at Hollywood.
