Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province is feverishly unfolding winter tourism and sports activities, entertaining tourists coming far and wide with its rich ice and snow resources in the wintertime.
In the picturesque China Snow Town Scenic Area, a fairytale winter holiday paradise featuring wooden houses covered by thick snow in mountains, a night running event warmed tourists with enthusiasm on Saturday.
"This is my first time to run marathon in the Snow Town. I feel warm inside and out, and I'm also in a hot mood," said a tourist.
The popular scenic area also held float parades, folk performances and laser shows to further enhance the lively atmosphere. Visitors were also offered with authentic local cuisines.
Winter swimming is an important part of the snow and ice culture in Heilongjiang. Amid plummeting sub-zero temperatures, the enthusiasts in Heihe City have broken through the frozen river to enjoy the daring activity in the chilly water.
"I'm from Fujian Province. I like Heilongjiang very much. The water quality here is really good," said a swimmer.
As the northernmost and easternmost province in China, Heilongjiang has become the most popular ice and snow tourist destination in the country. In 2023, the provincial government carried out a series of measures to activate the cultural tourism market, and introduced high-quality tourism development plans to release tourism consumption potential.
Data from the provincial department of culture and tourism showed that last year Heilongjiang received over 218 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 85.1 percent, and achieved tourism revenue of 221 billion yuan (about 30.5 billion U.S. dollars), more than a threefold year-on-year increase.
The province has set the goal of receiving over 100 million tourists with tourism revenue exceeding 150 billion yuan in the ice and snow season of 2024.
Ice-snow activities attract Chinese tourists to Heilongjiang
