Ice-snow economy heats up in northeast China

Visitors stroll along a lane at the Shuangfeng Forest Farm in Mudanjiang city, Heilongjiang province. [Photo/China Daily]

As winter approaches, more tourist attractions with new consumption scenes have been built in northeast China, transforming natural resources into a profitable business. Several ice and snow activities are available, providing a one-stop experience of viewing, sliding, and shopping.

The 27th Changchun Ice and Snow Festival opened on December 12 at the Changchun Ice and Snow New World. Amid the dazzling fireworks is the sharp contrast between the - 20 degrees Celsius weather and the spectators' enthusiasm.

The 1.56 million square meters of the Fifth Changchun Ice and Snow New World welcomed over 30,000 visitors on its opening day. Visitors can take photos with the 15-meter-high "Shuey Rhon Rhon" sculpture, slide down the 512.6-meter-long exciting ice slope, and wander through fantastic and magnificent ice sculptures.

"I visited here last year. This year, the variety of ice sculptures and entertainment activities has increased," said Li Zesheng, a resident of Jilin's capital Changchun city. "The 1,260-meter-long snow rafting is super thrilling!"

During the festival, Changchun will construct 10 theme parks with 40 entertainment venues, to expand the range of ice and snow tourism products and diversify special activities. In addition, four ski resorts have been improved and expanded. Now, there are 53 ski routes, receiving a maximum of 17,000 people daily.

"We have introduced 15 new ice and snow-themed products under the 'Changchun Gifts' brand," said Jin Ming, Secretary of the party group of the Changchun Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism.

"By building a hot destination with diverse tourism formats, we want visitors from all over the country and abroad to experience the charm of ice and snow in Changchun.

The lively scenes in Changchun mirror the overall "ice and snow fever" in northeast China. According to Ctrip, hotel bookings for ice and snow destinations in Jilin province increased by 78% year-on-year in December, and orders for ice and snow group tour products surged nearly tenfold.

Newly built ski slopes and cable cars at Jilin's Beidahu Ski Resort improve tourists' playing experience. Northeast Asia International Ski Resort in Shenyang city has expanded to 220,000 square meters, with supporting facilities such as the customer hall and transportation systems totally renovated. Tonghua city's Wanfeng Ski Resort constructed two hotels, increasing the reception capacity to nearly 2,000 guests.

"The size of the skiing population has been steadily growing this year," said Xie Xiaoqing, a senior researcher at Ctrip Research Institute Strategic Research Center. "This not only integrates ski sports with tourism products but also boosts the comprehensive development of leisure tourism industry."

Source: Economic Daily; trans-editing by Guo Yao