Heilongjiang to cash in on tourism

The massive ice sculpture named, "Snow Dance Style", a 26-meter-high, 24-meter-wide statue of a girl dancing with snow attracts many tourists. Zhao Tianhua / for China Daily

In the snowy regions of northeastern China lies Heilongjiang, a province with a wintry landscape that draws millions of tourists to visit each year.

According to official statistics, the province hosted 202 million domestic visitors and received more than 103 billion yuan ($16.3 billion) in tourism revenue last year.

In the same period, more than 2 million tourists from overseas visited the province and spent more than $918 million.

These tourism dollars have been a boon to economic growth.

The annual Heilongjiang International Skiing Festival and the Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival are among the renowned attractions that draw swarms of tourists annually.

About 14 million tourists brought more than 8.6 billion yuan tourism revenue to Heilongjiang during the Chinese New Year holiday, making the province one of the most popular destinations for Spring Festival.

The province is working to restore its numerous wetland areas to attract tourists and protect important ecological assets.

In Harbin, the city government said that under its program, the wetlands located along the Songhua River will be protected and developed.

Harbin's wetlands cover a 125,000-hectare area that includes Sun Island, Jinhewan, Binjiang, Mouth of the Hulan, Volga Manor and the Baiyupao wetlands, accounting for around one-third of the city's total area.

In 2011, the wetlands hosted 6.1 million tourists, and wetland tourism has become a crucial part of Harbin's tourism branding.

In 2012, Harbin will focus on creating a "Charming Summer of Harbin", which includes five main parts - Wetland Festival, Beer Festival, Harbin Economic and Trade Fair, Harbin Summer Concert and Wuhua Mountain Travelling.

The province is also promoting the development of famous tourist towns.

This year will be an important time during which the province will encourage the development of its 14 famous tourist towns.

Millions of tourists visit Heilongjiang not only for its ice and snow in the winter but also for its charming and distinctive scenery in the other three seasons. Tourism has grown into a pillar industry, and the province is creating a new model for tourism development.