With abundant snowfall since early autumn, Mohe City in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has embraced winter early, drawing hundreds of snow sports enthusiasts eager to experience its prime conditions.
A ski resort welcomed over 500 visitors and skiing enthusiasts on Friday, the first operation day of this season.
"My first time skiing down, it was quite fast and the snow was thick and heavy. It was really thrilling and fun," said a tourist.
"[My child] loves it, absolutely loves it. He says he wants to stay in the snow and even go to kindergarten [in Mohe]," another tourist said.
As China's northernmost city, Mohe's ski season lasts from mid-October to late April, making it a top winter sports destination in China.
Heilongjiang's snow tourism is heating up, with its provincial capital Harbin City scheduled to host the 9th Asian Winter Games February 7-14, 2025.
The 9th Asian Winter Games will be the first major international ice and snow event hosted by China since the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Tourists embrace early winter thrills in China's northernmost city Mohe
U.S. stocks finished slightly higher on Monday, staging a late-session recovery as investors navigated a volatile landscape marked by a criminal probe into the Federal Reserve leadership.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 86.13 points, or 0.17 percent, to 49,590.2. The S&P 500 added 10.99 points, or 0.16 percent, to 6,977.27. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 62.56 points, or 0.26 percent, to 23,733.9. Despite the positive close, the market experienced significant intraday turbulence, with the Dow dropping nearly 500 points at its session lows.
Nine of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in positive territory. Consumer staples and industrials led the gainers, rising 1.42 percent and 0.75 percent, respectively. Financials and energy were the primary laggards, declining 0.8 percent and 0.66 percent.
Market sentiment was initially shaken by an announcement on Sunday from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who confirmed that federal prosecutors are investigating him over the Fed's multi-billion-dollar project to renovate its headquarters. Powell characterized the probe as an attempt by the Trump administration to compromise the Fed's independence.
Further weighing on the financial sector was a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to cap credit card interest rates at 10 percent for one year, which triggered a sell-off in banking stocks amid concerns over restricted lending and reduced profitability. Capital One shares plummeted 6.42 percent, while Citigroup, JPMorgan and Bank of America also recorded losses.
In contrast, retail giant Walmart led the Dow's advance, climbing 3 percent following news of its upcoming inclusion in the Nasdaq 100 index. The company also announced a strategic partnership with Google's Gemini AI to enhance the digital shopping experience.
Investors are awaiting Tuesday's release of the U.S. consumer price index for December 2025. Following last week's cooling labor market data, market participants increasingly expect the Fed to maintain interest rates at their current levels during the upcoming January meeting.
U.S. stocks close higher amid criminal probe into Fed chair Powell
