Jilin City, once the capital city of Jilin Province, is the second largest city in the province and the only city that has the same name as a province in China. As one of the A-class open city and one of the 30 super large cities in China, Jilin City is a historical and cultural city approved by the State Council. Jilin rime, sports on ice and snow, the Songhua Lake, the Wula Ancient City, the Northern Mountain Ancient Temple Group, and folk customs of the Manchu and Korean ethnic minorities make Jilin City full of characteristics of northern China.

Jilin City is located at the lakeside of the Songhua Lake at the end of the Changbai Mountain Range in Northeast China's Jilin Province, lies in the transition zone from the Changbai Mountain Range to the Songliao Plain, and has clearly demarcated seasons. The beautiful Songhua River, which takes on an S shape, cuts through the downtown of Jilin City. Surrounded by chains of mountains on four sides and facing water on three sides, the city is reputed as the City of River in Northern China.

The city covers a total area of 271,000 square kilometers and has an urban area of 17,650 square kilometers. Under its jurisdiction there are four districts, one county and four county-level cities. Inhabitants in the city include about 20 nationalities like the Han, Korean, Manchu, Hui and so on.

Jilin City has now developed into a hot tourist destination in Northeast China. Major tour routes in the city are the route of natural scenery composed of one river, three lakes and the great pond (the Songhua River, the Songhua Lake, the Hongshi Lake, the Baishan Lake, and the Heaven Pond in Changbai Mountain); the route of folk customs (the folklore of Korean and Manch ethnic minorities); and the route of rime, ice and snow (riding blowmobile, appreciating mist, skiing and skee, enjoy ice lanterns, illuminations and river lights).