Jilin City is located in the middle of Jilin Province, the hinterland of Northeast China, along the Songhua River, and the transition zone from Changbai Mountain to Songnen Plain. It borders Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in the east, Changchun and Siping in the west, Harbin in Heilongjiang Province in the north and baishan city, Tonghua and Liaoyuan in the south.

Jilin is a national historical and cultural city, and Jilin Province is named after Jilin City, which is famous for its rime. Jilin is the former capital of Jilin Province. Because of the construction of Jilin Shipyard City along the Yangtze River in Ming and Qing Dynasties, Jilin City is also known as "Shipyard" and "Jiangcheng", and it is also the second hometown of Peking Opera.

Jilin has hosted the 24th China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, Jilin International Marathon and China World Ice and Snow Day. And held the Jilin International Rime Ice and Snow Festival for 22 consecutive years.

The eastern mountainous area of Jilin City is known as "seaside". It is also the hometown of ginseng, mink and velvet antler, which is famous at home and abroad. The output of ginseng and velvet antler ranks first in the country.

Jilin City, the only city with the same name in Jilin Province, belongs to the cuisine in Northeast China. There are many special food snacks and Manchu special foods here, including Jilin famous dishes such as white meat and blood sausage, steamed white fish, old tofu in Jilin casserole, three-piece bowl, and Jilin special food snacks such as fried powder, small fire spoon, steamed dumplings in Xinxing Garden, sticky bean bag and Jilin fried dumpling.