Iconic snow festival marks opening of winter tourist season

HARBIN — Rushing through the entrance of Harbin Ice-Snow World with a throng of tourists, Zhong Xueying stepped into a realm of towering ice, her face lit up with joy as she marveled at the wintry wonders amid the crisp, biting wind.

"I arrived four days ago, eagerly awaiting the opening day, and now it's time to race to the Super Ice Slide," Zhong exclaimed before dashing off.

Located in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, the iconic Harbin Ice-Snow World, the world's largest ice-and-snow theme park, welcomed more than 2.7 million visitors last winter.

The 26th edition officially opened on Dec 21, marking a new milestone in China's thriving winter economy.

Like Zhong, many people traveled thousands of miles to Harbin to experience its renowned ice-and-snow wonderland. Lin Jung-yu, a teenager from Taiwan, said the park's 500-meter Super Ice Slide, featured across multiple social media platforms, was the main reason she came here.

"Last year, I watched many videos of people gliding down the slide and decided I have to try it for myself. Now that I'm finally here, that ride was undoubtedly the most thrilling minute I've ever experienced," she added.

Despite increasing the number of lanes at the Super Ice Slide from 16 to 24, the queue for a ride can stretch hundreds of meters within an hour. This surge in enthusiasm is expected to intensify, leading up to the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games in February, according to a staff member of the park.

The Harbin Ice-Snow World has become one of China's most iconic winter attractions. Last winter, it skyrocketed in popularity on Chinese social media, capturing the country's growing passion for winter sports and tourism.

China recorded more than 385 million winter leisure visits nationwide in 2023, marking a 38 percent increase from 2022, with related revenue rising by 50 percent.

In Harbin alone, the last snow season saw more than 87 million visitors, up 300 percent year-on-year, generating 124.8 billion yuan ($17.4 billion) in tourism revenue, a staggering 500 percent surge.

Meanwhile, government efforts have sparked significant momentum in the Snow Town, located in the city of Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang province. Donning special costumes and taking photos with snow formations has become a must for tourists, creating new business opportunities.

"It feels like breaking into a fairy tale world of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I have enjoyed this wonderful atmosphere so much," said Zhang Yuying, a tourist from South China's Guangdong province, who was taking photos dressed as a princess.

The Snow Town has welcomed more than 400,000 visitors in over a month this snow season. This year, the town has expanded its offerings, introducing a forest pathway and a riverside commercial street. It will also host snow marathons and outdoor disco-dancing competitions, providing even more exciting activities for winter lovers.

Spending soars

While skiing in the stunning Changbai Mountain area of Northeast China's Jilin province, Zhang Qian took a break to browse online promotions and ended up purchasing new ski equipment and coupons for the upcoming Spring Festival holiday.

"I bought the coupons for the hotel I stayed at this time during the 'Double 11' shopping festival, which was a good deal," said Zhang, who hails from East China's Shandong province. "I'm planning to come here to ski again during the Spring Festival holiday. Skiing is so much fun!"

Skiing coupons emerged as popular items during the "Double 11" and "Double 12" shopping festivals. With their lower prices and greater flexibility, these coupons make it easier for people to try ice and snow tourism products, leading to more frequent visits.

The Changbai Mountain Wanda International Resort, a flagship project in the Changbai Mountain area, saw a sales revenue of nearly 200 million yuan during the "Double 11" shopping festival, official data showed.

According to online shopping and tourism platforms, orders for ice and snow equipment surged, while searches and bookings for ice and snow tours saw rapid growth during the "Double 11" shopping festival this year.

On China's leading e-commerce platform, Tmall, sales of categories such as down jackets, thermal wear and skiing equipment surged by more than 200 percent year-on-year during the "Double 11" shopping festival.

For this snow season, Jilin has issued coupons worth 30 million yuan for ice and snow enthusiasts across the country. These coupons are valid at most ski resorts as well as popular ice and snow attractions throughout the province.

Such promotions have encouraged Liu Chuang, who lives in Changchun, about 140 kilometers from his favorite ice and snow resort, to go skiing almost every week. "They've sparked a greater interest in the sport. I recently bought a new snowboard to improve my skills," Liu said.

China aims to boost its ice and snow economy as a new growth sector, targeting an economic scale of 1.2 trillion yuan by 2027 and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030, according to guidelines issued by the General Office of the State Council in November.

The annual Central Economic Work Conference, held in December, also called for efforts to develop the country's ice and snow economy.

Across the country

The ice and snow tourism sector has gained popularity not only in Northeast China but across other regions of the country.

Zhang Yumin and Li Xinru, from Northeast China's Liaoning province were among those who chose Jiuzhaigou of Sichuan province in the southwest as their ice and snow destination, drawn by the sight of blue lakes surrounded by snowy mountains.

"I've seen pictures of Jiuzhaigou online, and it's beautiful. But being here in person, I've realized it's even more stunning when seen with my own eyes," Li said.

Earlier this month, Sichuan announced a 150 million yuan package, which includes coupons and free tickets, along with a range of winter tourism products such as skiing and hot springs, set to launch from December this year through March 2025.

China's booming winter economy has also attracted international tourists. Dambar Prasad Acharya from Nepal had his first skiing experience in Jilin and instantly fell in love with the sport.

"China has done an outstanding job in developing winter sports and tourism. The infrastructure, such as ski resorts and training facilities, is very advanced," he said, adding that it is impressive how the country is promoting winter sports among its citizens and tourists.

Ice and snow tourism plays a key role in consumption upgrading. With the growing popularity of ice and snow sports and the ongoing improvement in policies supporting the development of the ice and snow economy, the industry is poised for significant growth in China, said Zhang Guihai, head of Heilongjiang's ice and snow industry research institute.

Xinhua