Changchun lies in the centre of Jilin Province in China's North East, and is a major centre for China's auto industry. With a population of some 7m, one in four of the local population are employed by this sector. Apart from heavy industry however, it is also close to the Changbai Mountains bordering North Korea and is with in easy reach of the ski facilities there - which is why we run this piece for you in December.Changchun itself is a reasonable enough city, not too polluted, and with an interesting history. It was the capital city of the short-lived Japanese state of Manchuko and housed the Last Emperor, Pu Yi, as its puppet figurehead for a short time. The Japanese even went so far as to build a rather tacky version of the Forbidden City here to make him feel at home - this is now a tourist attraction. Changchun has wide, tree-lined boulevards, built by the Japanese, and these lend the city an attractive, international ambience. However, donkey and cart are still a major transport facility here and live at home along the roads with all the Volkswagens and FAW trucks along the streets.