Changbai Mountains, Chinese (Pinyin) Changbai Shan, or (Wade-Giles romanization) Ch’ang-pai Shan, Korean Changbaek-sanjulgi, mountain range forming the border between the Chinese provinces of Liaoning and Jilin and North Korea. The name in Chinese means “Forever White Mountains”; the Korean name means “White-Topped Mountains.” Consisting of a series of parallel ranges with a general southwest-northeast axis, the mountains are a continuation of the uplands of the Liaodong and Shandong peninsulas. The ranges consist mainly of ancient granites and metamorphic rocks and are broken up by a number of large intermontane fault troughs. The eastern sections were the site of considerable volcanic activity in recent geological times, usually along ancient fault lines; widespread lava eruptions occurred, resulting in the formation of many extinct volcanic cones and crater lakes. The terrain is rugged, and the mountains have been deeply incised by many river valleys. These rivers are fast flowing, with steep gradients and frequent rapids. The area is by far the wettest part of the Northeast region (Manchuria) of China; its annual precipitation, including both rain and snow, ranges from 30 to 50 inches (760 to 1,270 mm). The whole area is under solid snow cover for two months per year, and the higher peaks, which range from 5,000 to 8,000 feet (1,500 to 2,400 metres) above sea level, are covered with snow for more than six months annually. The region is densely covered with mixed deciduous and coniferous forest. Alpine meadows occur only above 6,500 feet (2,000 metres).
The name Changbai Mountains first appeared in the 12th century. Before that, the mountains were known as the Buxian Shan or the Taibai Shan. They long formed a wild and inaccessible frontier region where government control was tenuous, and only in the late 19th century was its population, consisting of prospectors and trappers, brought under a Chinese administration. Colonies of Koreans were settled in some of the mountain basins before and during the Japanese occupation of Northeast China (Manchuria; 1931–45); the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture now occupies a large area within Jilin province.
The mountains contain substantial deposits of gold, iron, copper, magnesite, graphite, and various rare metals. Changbai Mountains Natural Reserve, established in 1960, covers some 850 square miles (2,200 square km) and contains a great diversity of vegetation and wildlife, as well as a crater lake, a high waterfall, and hot springs.