China welcomes influx of foreign visitors amid winter tourism surge

CHENGDU -- Ascending Mount Emei in Southwest China's Sichuan province, Malaysian tourist Luo Mingwei and his companions were awed by the sweeping sea of clouds, heightening their anticipation for the winter journey ahead.

Luo said Malaysia's hot climate led him to seek the cool, pleasant environment of Mount Emei, an experience he found well worth the journey. Planning to explore Sichuan's famed snow-capped mountains and glaciers next, he expressed excitement at the chance to enjoy ice-and-snow scenery rarely seen in his homeland.

As China enters its golden winter tourism season, the country is experiencing a growing influx of overseas visitors drawn to the ice and snow landscapes.

From cool-climate getaways in the southwest to the ice-and-snow wonderland of the "Ice City" Harbin, destinations nationwide are rolling out innovative tourism offerings and improving services, giving foreign travelers refreshing "China Travel" experiences.

Sichuan ranks among the world's richest regions in low-latitude ice-and-snow tourism, and by leveraging its iconic landscapes that blend snowy mountains with mild temperatures, the province has become a popular destination for travelers from Southeast Asia.

From January to November, the Mount Emei Scenic Area received 224,800 inbound tourist visits, with Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, Indonesia and Australia ranking as the top five source markets.

At the Dagu Glacier scenic area, a major ice and snow attraction in Sichuan, inbound visits over the same period reached a record of over 46,000, surging 139.72 percent year on year, with tourists from Thailand and Malaysia accounting for 83.75 percent of the total.

According to the border inspection station in the provincial capital Chengdu, more than 1.56 million foreign travelers had entered or exited the city as of Dec 2, up 45.8 percent year on year, with Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore being the top three source countries.

Jiang Huijun, chairperson of Singapore-based travel agency Jun-Air Travel, said Sichuan's unique landscapes and winter offerings, including skiing programs, are highly appealing to Southeast Asian tourists.

She noted that China's visa-free policies, along with trending topics on social media, have helped make the country a preferred destination for Southeast Asian tourists, with its popularity continuing to grow.

According to China's National Immigration Administration (NIA), tourists from 76 countries now enjoy unilateral or mutual visa-free entry, with transit exemptions expanded to 55 countries.

Data from the NIA showed that visa-free entries accounted for over 7 million foreign arrivals in the third quarter of this year, representing 72.2 percent of all foreign entries and marking a 48.3 percent year-on-year increase.

As China further refines its visa-free policies, more international travelers are joining the country's winter tourism surge.

In the Korean autonomous prefecture of Yanbian, Northeast China's Jilin province, themed travel photography experiences -- featuring traditional Korean ethnic attire -- have become a hit among foreign visitors.

The experience is fascinating, with beautiful photos and professional service to help visitors fully appreciate the charm of China's ethnic culture, said Anna, a Russian tourist.

Zhu Baokun, operations director of a local Korean ethnic folk park, said China's booming ice-and-snow economy has fueled rapid growth in the local travel photography industry, attracting hundreds of photographers and makeup artists seeking new opportunities.

During holidays, daily visitor numbers average 20,000, with rising arrivals from Russia, Japan and the Republic of Korea, he said.

Hundreds of kilometers away in Harbin, the world's largest ice-and-snow theme park, Harbin Ice-Snow World, officially opened its grandest edition to visitors on Wednesday.

Thanks to its distinctive winter attractions, Harbin has become a social media favorite and ignited China's ice and snow fever. During the 2024-2025 winter tourism season, the city received more than 90 million visitors, with inbound arrivals jumping 94.2 percent year on year.

At the recent global tourism economy forum, the city was awarded by UN Tourism for its leadership and excellence in the development of ice and snow tourism.

Local officials said Harbin has continued to enhance travel convenience for international visitors, opening new direct flights to Hong Kong and Seoul, and expanding routes to cities in Russia.

Benefiting from measures such as the China-Russia trial visa-free policy, arrivals from Russia in the city rose 136 percent, while inbound tourist spending surged 150 percent year on year in 2025.

Driven by overseas visitors, the city's ice-and-snow economy has now surpassed 160 billion yuan (about $22.68 billion).

China is set to develop high-quality inbound tourism products and routes, build inbound tourism consumption clusters, and continue to launch campaigns to woo international tourists during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), said Sun Yeli, minister of culture and tourism.

As the country enters its winter tourism peak, top tourist attractions have rolled out innovative projects to entertain global travellers, including themed travel routes, ice and snow carnivals, and a winter sports Super League featuring snow football challenges and snowball-fight tournaments.