Snow tourism turns Erhe into winter wonderland

On the fourth day of the Year of the Snake, red lanterns adorned a small village in China's northernmost region, drawing thousands of visitors to celebrate Spring Festival in a winter wonderland.

"Covered in thick snow, with smoke rising from chimneys as the sun sets, the snow village of Erhe in winter is like a fairy-tale world," said Fu Ximin, a tourist from Anhui province.

Rather than heading south to warmer destinations like Hainan province and Yunnan province, Fu's family opted for a snowy retreat in Northeast China. Ice and snow tourism, led by cities such as Harbin in Heilongjiang province, has surged in popularity in recent years.

Located around the 43rd parallel north, Erhe village in Shulan city, Jilin province, is recognized as one of the world's top regions for natural ice and snow resources. After nearly a decade of development, the once-remote mountain village has transformed into a bustling winter tourist destination.

With snowfall lasting five months a year, Erhe sees the heaviest accumulation in Jilin, with an average snow cover of 1.5 meters. Despite being home to only about 400 residents, the village committed to tourism development in 2016. Since then, nearly 40 million yuan ($5.5 million) has been invested in ice and snow entertainment centers, light shows, observation decks and other facilities.