Enjoying a slice of the cold

For visitors now, the Hulun Buir Nadam Fair, which opened in late December, runs until March. For now, more than 40 winter programs are available. And travelers can enjoy reindeer-drawn sleighs, do motorcycle rides through snow-clad forests, run marathons, take part in beauty pageants, see ice sculptures, enjoy shows or savor hotpot.

For those looking for a slightly different experience, Southwestern China's Tibet autonomous region is the place. Its ethnic culture, snowcapped mountains and hot springs are big draws for visitors.

Tibet has sunny winter days and starry nights, and many who have visited Lhasa have seen more than 130 types of birds in the season, says the Tibet tourism authority. In addition, folk events and Buddhist celebrations mostly take place in winter.

In another development, the Tibet tourism authority recently signed an agreement with its Beijing counterpart, to boost the region's tourism.

The Liaoning, Qinghai and Gansu provinces are also actively developing local winter tourism resources.

As for visitor experiences, Su Xing from central China's Hunan province had a blast in Changchun, in the northeast Jilin province, recently.

"It was very freezing, but the skiing and scenery were refreshing and thrilling," says Su, adding that he had not seen snow earlier.

The chill was gone when he sweated taking part in various winter sports with his family during his five-day trip, he says

"I'll surely try other regions with snow in the future," he adds.