Harbin Ice-Snow World attracts millions as Heilongjiang boosts winter economy

Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province is capitalizing on its abundant ice and snow resources to fuel the growth of its winter economy, with the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World emerging as a standout attraction.

Spanning 1 million square meters, a theme park has drawn millions of visitors this season, highlighting the province's innovative approach to winter tourism and its ambitious plans for the future. As of 22:00 on Thursday, the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World had been in operation for 61 days, attracting a total of 3.31 million visitors. The park saw its highest single-day attendance on Feb 1 with over 100,000 visitors.

Nearly 87 percent of the visitors were from outside Heilongjiang Province, with the largest contingents coming from Guangdong in the south and Jiangsu Provinces in the east.

"It's really cold, but really fun, too. I love northeast China," said He Zhongbei, a visitor from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China.

"There's no snow in Hong Kong, so we came here to experience it. It's amazing how many different scenic spots have been turned into ice sculptures. They are so delicate and exquisite," shared two tourists from Hong Kong.

As a leading province in ice and snow tourism, Heilongjiang is committed to fully utilizing its rich and unique winter cultural and tourism resources to create world-class winter vacation destinations and a hub for the ice and snow economy.

"We will continue to expand the positive impact of the Asian Winter Games and transform attractions like the Harbin Ice and Snow World, China Snow Town, and Mohe Arctic Village into high-quality winter tourism destinations. By 2030, we aim to make ice and snow consumption a significant driver of domestic demand, with the total output value of the ice and snow industry exceeding 45 billion yuan (about 6 billion U.S. dollars)," said Qi Bin, deputy director of the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

Harbin Ice-Snow World attracts millions as Heilongjiang boosts winter economy

China's movie industry is increasingly deriving its earnings from broader consumer economy.

Released during the 2025 summer season, the film "Nobody" became China's highest-grossing two-dimensional animated film -- and its success went beyond theaters.

Through licensing and brand partnerships, the movie has generated 2.5 billion yuan (about 358.3 million U.S. dollars) in retail sales to consumers, with more than 800 licensed products on the market.

Ranging from plush toys to food and home goods, the movie-related merchandise can be purchased from over 3,000 online and offline outlets.

Meanwhile, souvenir stores are crowded at Shanghai Disneyland's Zootopia themed land, with hats, plush toys, and collectibles seeing steady demand from visitors.

"China's film industry is no longer defined by box office revenue alone. It has become a new growth engine that links and energizes multiple cultural sectors. At the heart of every successful film is strong storytelling. High-quality productions create cultural value, which in turn enhances the commercial value of intellectual property and opens up new consumption opportunities. I believe China's film industry delivered an outstanding performance in the past year," said Chen Xiaoda, vice dean of Shanghai Vancouver Film School.

Film IP fuels expansion of consumer market