Crime is one of the major concerns facing Chinese cities. Using crime data compiled at police precinct level in 2008, this research examines spatial patterns of violent crimes in Changchun, and explores the relationship between the spatial distribution of violent crimes and neighborhood characteristics. Crime rates are applied as a measure of the intensity of violent crimes. Spatial statistics and geographic information systems are used to detect violent crime hot spots, or statistically significant locales of high violent crime rates in Changchun. A multiple linear regression model is calibrated to assess the impacts of contextual neighborhood characteristics on violent crimes. The analytical results demonstrate that the risk or intensity of violent crimes is strongly concentrated in the central city area, and neighborhood socioeconomic, demographic, especially land use characteristics are effective in accounting for the spatial variation in the distribution of violent crimes across the city of Changchun. These findings are largely in line with the routine activities theory, social disorganization theory, and the framework of crime prevention through environmental design, which emphasize the importance of opportunities, local social context, and environmental design in shaping the spatial pattern of and reducing urban crimes.