China's Heilongjiang well prepared for new winter tourism season

Cities in the far-flung northeastern province of Heilongjiang, a popular destination for winter tourism in China, have been well prepared for welcoming tourists across the country as the weather there has turned cold and snow has enveloped the region.

With abundant snowfall since early autumn, Mohe City has embraced winter early, attracting flocks of tourists from all over the country to experience an ice and snow tour.

Heading all the way north aboard a special tourist train from the provincial capital of Harbin to Mohe, tourists started a romantic trip for winter beauty. Along the route that goes through the Greater Khingan Mountains, tourists will admire magnificent winter sceneries all the way to China's northernmost city Mohe.

"The swirling snowflakes kept falling all the way here. The snowland and snow-capped forests in the Greater Khingan Mountains were really beautiful. The whole trip was amazing," said Feng Jia, a tourist from central China's Hunan Province.

The temperature in Beijicun Village, or "North Pole Village", in Mohe has already dropped to minus 15 degrees Celsisu, where tourists can have a snowball fight and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Living deep in the forests of the Greater Khingan Mountains, the Ewenki ethnic group is the only reindeer tribe in China. coming to the Beijicun Village, tourists can not only get in touch with the lovely reindeer, but also learn about the culture of the ethnic minority.

"I came here for the reindeer. I think it is super cute, and I love it. Mohe City is like a fairy tale forest," said Zhu Zhu, a tourist from south China's Fujian Province.

Known as China's "North Pole," Mohe has developed a variety of winter tourism programs over the past few years to attract tourist to experience an "extremely cold journey," continued to improves its infrastructure and developed tourism products to woo more tourists in all seasons.

Also in Heilongjiang, the provincial capital Harbin, or the "Ice City", is also well prepared for welcoming tourists nationwide. It was one of the most popular destinations in the last winter tourism season. The Harbin Ice and Snow World, one of the city's most famous scenic spots, has expanded its area to one million square meters. It is scheduled to open in mid-December.

The Central Avenue has not only restored the historical buildings, but also built a new tourist center to provide services like luggage storage and simple snacks.

Taking the opportunity of hosting the 9th Asian Winter Games, the Yabuli Ski Resort has upgraded its skiing facilities.

China's Heilongjiang well prepared for new winter tourism season

Exclusive footage recorded by China Media Group (CMG) on Monday shows the wreckage of U.S. military aircraft left behind in the southern part of Iran's Isfahan province, following an American rescue operation in the area.

On April 3, a U.S. twin-seat fighter jet was shot down over Iran's Isfahan Province. Both crew members ejected and survived, according to U.S. officials, who said one was rescued shortly after the crash, while the other was not recovered until two days later.

Meanwhile, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of the Iranian armed forces said on Sunday that four U.S. military aircraft, including two C-130 Hercules military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters, had been shot down during the U.S. mission to rescue the pilot, according to the official news agency Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

The aircraft were targeted during joint operations by the forces of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), army, voluntary Basij fighters and law enforcement in the south of central Isfahan Province, IRNA reported.

The two sides have offered conflicting accounts of the U.S. rescue operation and the downing of the aircraft.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that U.S. forces had rescued both, with no American casualties. One day later, he added that the second crew member was rescued with serious injuries.

U.S. sources said hundreds of U.S. special forces entered Iran overnight on Saturday to rescue the pilot. Two C-130 transport planes broke down during the mission, the sources said, adding that U.S. forces destroyed four helicopters and the two disabled planes prior to withdrawing to prevent them from being captured.

However, sources within Iran's military said that further investigations had shown that the four U.S. aircraft were shot down. The U.S. attempted a rescue operation at an abandoned airport in Isfahan, but Iranian forces intervened in time, leading to the "complete failure" of the U.S. rescue mission, they said.

Footage shows wreckage of US warplanes left behind in southern Isfahan after rescue mission