China's first compounded wind tunnel dedicated to low-altitude aircraft aerodynamic testing was inaugurated on Wednesday in Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong in the south, marking a major breakthrough in the low-altitude aviation research and development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Wind tunnels are controlled environments used to generate airflow for testing aircraft designs. Compared with outdoor flight tests, wind tunnel experiments are faster and more cost-effective.
"We fix the aircraft to a test platform and let the air flow, creating a relative movement and simulating the conditions of flight in the sky to measure technological parameters," said Sun Liangbao, head of wind tunnel technology at the Guangdong Aerospace Research Academy (GARA), who developed the wind tunnel.
As a hub for drone development in China, Guangdong aims to leverage the new facility to provide efficient, local testing services. The wind tunnel is expected to significantly reduce research and development costs and accelerate technology breakthroughs and commercial applications.
"There were companies who waited for over a year for a testing slot in Harbin. Now, with the wind tunnel launched in the Greater Bay Area, the entire process for wind tunnel experiments, from coordination to testing, takes just three to four months," said Shang Zuming, the director of the wind tunnel testing platform.
Guangdong builds China's first wind tunnel for low-altitude aircraft
Ice and snow activities have attracted more visitors across China during the three-day New Year holiday that began on Thursday, with destinations upgrading services and introducing new experiences to boost winter tourism and consumption.
At the Jizhou International Ski Resort in north China's Tianjin, visitor numbers have surged during the holiday. To accommodate demand, the resort has opened 11 ski runs, added new snow-making equipment, upgraded more than 5,000 sets of ski gear, and deployed over 200 professional instructors.
To meet visitors' needs, the resort also has offered two free public classes each day to help beginners master basic skills and safety knowledge. Shuttle bus services have been expanded between nearby hotels and the resort, providing seamless transportation for guests.
"There are shuttle buses from the hotel to the ski resort every 20 minutes, wich I think is a very good service," said Ma Xinping, a tourist.
Hotels in the surrounding area have also benefited from the rising popularity of ice-and-snow tourism.
"Hotel rooms were nearly fully booked during the holiday, and this year's revenue is expected to increase by more than 50 percent compared with previous years," said Zong Qinghe, general manager of the Tianjin Jizhou International Ski Resort.
Meanwhile, Huangshan City in east China's Anhui Province is also tapping into its winter tourism potential by rolling out new ice-and-snow-themed attractions.
At an ice-and-snow entertainment venue in the city's Changyuan Village, snowmaking machines have been operating continuously, creating a winter wonderland where children have been building snowmen, having snowball fights and enjoying snow slides amid laughter and excitement.
"I built a snowman and had a snowball fight here. I'm really happy," said Chen Xiaohan, a tourist.
According to Wang Fei, head of the venue, the whole place is divided into three main zones, including a photo-taking area, a snow-play area and a slide zone. She added that the attraction received nearly 30,000 visits in the first two days of the New Year holiday.
China's ice and snow tourism gains momentum during New Year holiday
