As temperatures plunge across much of north China, a renewed burst of enthusiasm for winter-related activities is helping drive seasonal consumption, turning winter chills into economic heat through new consumption scenes and spending opportunities.
Nearly 10,000 tourists gathered Sunday on the frozen Yimin River in Hulunbuir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, for the Ice and Snow Naadam Festival, featuring camel caravans, horse racing, traditional Mongolian throat singing and wrestling performances.
Across the region, Inner Mongolia rolled out a range of ice-and-snow themed tourism activities, offering sightseeing, interactive experiences, leisure, entertainment and trade exchange to enhance visitors’ winter travel experience.
Liaoning Province, which neighbors the eastern part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is also hosting an array of winter events. An ongoing public skiing challenge in Dandong has attracted more than 150 skiers from across the province.
Local authorities are also leveraging mass sports events as a key economic driver, rolling out public ice-and-snow activities such as snow pickleball and snow football to broaden participation and stimulate related spending.
To enrich visitor experiences, many ski resorts across the country have unveiled night-skiing this winter. At the Funiushan Ski Resort in Luoyang, skiers glide down illuminated slopes after dark for a more thrilling experience.
In Shennongjia, central China's Hubei Province, a newly launched night-skiing program allows tourists to ski down illuminated runs while enjoying colorful light shows and taking photos at specially designed nighttime scenic spots.
In Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province, snowy nighttime scenery is proving a strong draw for both locals and visitors.
"Night-skiing attendance has increased by more than 20 percent. High-mast floodlights fully illuminate the slopes, and professional snow groomers ensure snow quality at night, making after-work skiing a new trend for leisure and exercise," said Li Jianjun, head of a ski resort in Taiyuan's Xinghualing District.
Beyond sports and entertainment, many destinations are also mobilizing their unique natural and cultural resources to develop new models of winter cultural tourism.
In Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province, the Hailuogou scenic area has attracted large numbers of tourists in recent days after introducing a new tour format that combines ice and snow experiences with science education.
Under the guidance of professional instructors, visitors can collect samples on site and learn about glaciers through immersive, hands-on activities.
Further north from Sichuan, the Sayram Lake Scenic Area in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has organized colorful lakeside winter events to attract visitors.
Ice-and-snow markets, snowfield folk performances and other attractions line the route, enriching what tourists can see, do and purchase in a single visit.
China turns ice-and-snow resources into hot economic driver
