Ice and snow, pristine forest boost holiday tourist visits

A world of ice and snow, natural beauty, festivals and various well-organized leisure and sporting activities combine to make Jilin province one of the nation's top winter tourist destinations.

During the recent Spring Festival holidays that lasted for a week, the province welcomed 6.7 million tourists, an increase of 18.2 percent from last year. Tourism generated more than 5 billion yuan ($825 million) in revenues over the period, up 25 percent.

Crowds of tourists speaking a range of languages were attracted to Jingyue Lake and the Lianhua and Changbai mountains in the province.

In the Jingyue Lake area, Northeast China Culture Park and Beihu National Wetland Park were home to snow sculpture displays and carnivals.

The Changbai Mountains have long been one of the region's best-known attractions, a place where tourists can experience the breathtaking sight of vast snow fields and enjoy fresh air in an ancient virgin forest.

The area received nearly 200,000 tourists during the holidays. The local ski resort alone attracted more than 36,000 people.

The Changchun Movie Wonderland in Jingyue Lake area attracted more than 12,000 visitors, with the number of individual visitors doubling from the same time last year.

Hot springs are also a draw in Jilin's winter tourism. Popular hot spring sites include Yulong, Yutangquan and Yanminghu in Changchun city, and Shennong and Shengdequan in Jilin city.

Picturesque tree frost, another of the natural wonders in Jilin, is also an attraction to tourists.

Traditional customs such as temple fairs and flower shows are also part of the winter festivities. On Jan 31, the first day of the Lunar New Year, Beishan Park in Jilin city opened its annual fair that combines traditions and modern entertainment. The park attracted more than 70,000 people over the holidays.

On Feb 1, Changchun Children's Park started its themed flower show with more than 3,000 flowerbeds that attracted locals and tourists. At Wenmiao Temple, a New Year blessing ceremony had more than 1,000 locals participating in the early morning.

Other activities

Alongside the many sightseeing tours, other activities over the holidays welcomed tourist participation and interaction. Events included the 2014 Vasaloppet China cross-country ski race, the 2014 Changbai Mountains international ice and snow festival and winter fishing in Chagan Lake in Songyuan city.

Highlighting the attractions, travel agencies planned a number of one, two and three-day routes. More than 1.5 million tourists during the Spring Festival holidays were single-day travelers.

Some 40 percent of the tourists were from Jilin province itself or neighboring regions who drove their own cars.

Many counties and towns in the suburban areas offered tourism programs centered on their distinctive folk customs.

While many sightseeing sites across the nation raised ticket prices during the holidays, some areas in the province maintained modest prices and even offered discounts.

With this year the Year of the Horse, tourists whose shengxiao - Chinese zodiac sign - is the horse enjoyed a number of attractions for free including Changchun Movie Wonderland.

Officials from the Jilin Provincial Tourism Administration said that the boom over the Spring Festival holidays challenged the province's infrastructure and services, but they had made detailed preparations.

They said they received only three complaints during the holidays and no report of accidents.

The officials said that the tourism business has been successful, but the infrastructure in some scenic areas in the province still needs improvement.

As well, the province needs to develop new products to combine tourism resources with improved hospitality, transportation, shopping and entertainment facilities.

Industry insiders also suggested greater integration of tourism resources with local cultural elements. They also called for more government funding.

zhangzhao@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 02/20/2014 page12)