I have been away from my hometown for a year and a half. I miss my hometown very much, and I would like to show the picture of my hometown-Changbai, China!

I like three aspects of my hometown. First, Changbai lies in the northeast of China and is a mountainous city. There are many big rivers that run across it. For this reason, Changbai has very fresh air. Secondly, Changbai has snow all year round, so Changbai is famous for snow views. In winters, tons of water that flows from the power station gives off much mist. It then spreads around the pines. The icicles forms when the warm steam meets the cold pines, and this picture can be seen every corner of the mountains. Once the sun comes out, Changbai looks like a beautiful ice world. Furthermore, as Changbai is very cold throughout the year, people there usually have activities in the snow. For example, people in Changbai play soccer on the snow instead of grass, for Changbai is too cold for grass to grow in.

Conversely, I dislike the inconvenient transportation and the Korean culture of my hometown. First, there is no airport or railway in Changbai because of the snowy weather. The only way to get to Changbai is by car. I also don't like that People in Changbai are influenced a lot by North Korea. As Changbai is on the boundary of China and North Korea, nearly sixty percent of the people of the city are Korean. They speak Korean, sing Korean songs, and read Korean books every day. In addition, almost all the food in my hometown is derived from Korean food. I feel it is too hard to communicate with Korean people because I do not understand their language.

I had lived in Changbai for eighteen years before I went to Canada, and I feel it is a beautiful and interesting place though there are some aspects I dislike.

November 13, 2000