Heilongjiang lures tourists who want to beat the heat

A tourism promotion meeting with a twist -- sponsored by the Heilongjiang Provincial Culture and Tourism Department -- was held in Wuhan, Central China’s Hubei province on May 26.

Heilongjiang, the northernmost province in China, is aiming to boost its summer tourism market by attracting tourists from China’s four “Stove Cities.”

The term refers to the cities that have the hottest weather in summer: namely Chongqing in Southwest China, Wuhan in Central China’s Hubei province, Changsha in Central China’s Hunan province and Nanchang in East China’s Jiangxi province.

Heilongjiang has grand forests, numerous lakes, rivers, wetlands and a volcano, as well as various species of rare wild animals.

Representative natural scenic sites in Heilongjiang include the Wudalianchi Scenic Spot which features five connected volcanic lakes and the Greater Khingan Range -- the largest wild forest in China which is well preserved. There is also Jingpo Lake, the world’s second largest alpine dammed lake, and the Zhalong Natural Nature Reserve Area which features red-crowned cranes and is the largest wetland in Asia.

Tourists can choose from a total of 10 travel routes launched by the Heilongjiang tourism authority via a Heilongjiang tourism app that has been jointly-developed by the Heilongjiang Provincial Culture and Tourism Department and China’s leading online travel agencies.

Officials said that more than 1,000 people downloaded the app at the tourism promotion meeting; and three lucky people obtained a Heilongjiang tourism prize of 1,000 yuan.

The promotion meeting will continue to be held in Chongqing and Changsha to attract more tourists for Heilongjiang.