The ongoing Asian Winter Games has sparked a skiing boom in its host city of Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, with Yabuli, the venue for the Games' snow sports events, seeing a particularly high number of tourist arrivals.
Lasting from Feb. 7 to 14, the Games are proceeding in two competition zones, one in Harbin City and the other in Yabuli County of Harbin.
While two of Yabuli's six ski resorts are temporarily closed to serve as venues for the Games, the remaining four are fully operational and open to tourists.
One of these resorts has seen a record-breaking number of visitors this winter.
Usually, the number of visitors at the resort drops after the Spring Festival holiday, but it is not the case this year. Data showed that the resort is currently receiving around 20,000 visitors daily, a 20 percent increase from the same period last year.
Since the start of the skiing season in November 2024, it has welcomed a total of 900,000 visitors and set a single-day record of 32,000 visitors.
The Games has clearly ignited the public's passion for skiing and boosted the Yabuli's popularity, as it has attracted many beginners from southern China.
To cater to these newcomers, the ski resorts there have added four new beginner slopes and increased the number of ski instructors from 500 to 900.
With professional guidance, first-time skiers can quickly pick up the basics and enjoy the sport in just half a day.
The event also has greatly spurred the development of local rural tourism. Many guesthouses near ski resorts in Yabuli have been fully booked, with most rooms occupied until the Lantern Festival on Feb. 12.
Asian Winter Games ignites skiing frenzy in Harbin's Yabuli Ski Resort
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
