Winter visitors give Heilongjiang warm praise

Despite arriving in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, at midnight on Friday, Tiantian rose early the next day and spent the entire morning taking photos on the square in front of Saint Sophia Cathedral.

"This is my most important task during my trip to the city," said the 32-year-old from Nanjing in East China's Jiangsu province, who uses a nickname. "Wearing European-style royal attire and holding a scepter, I enjoy the experience of dressing up as a princess."

The cathedral, one of the best-known landmarks in Harbin and a well-preserved example of Byzantine architecture in China, is open to the public as an architectural art gallery.

Tiantian said: "As such photos are quite popular on social media platforms, I booked my assignment with a travel photography shop in Harbin several days in advance. I have never seen such magnificent Russian-style architecture before, and I am really looking forward to receiving my photos."

The Harbin branch of Daka Travel Photography has received 40 to 50 customers each day since it opened last month.

Zhao Wenlin, manager of the business, said: "Most of our customers come from southern areas of China, such as Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, as well as Shanghai. Their ages range from eight to about 50.

"Daka Travel Photography, which is based in Beijing, has branches nationwide, but the one in Harbin is by far the company's busiest.

"There are at least 200 photographic shops in surrounding areas, and our staff members usually work from 9 am to midnight. As Spring Festival approaches, I believe we will become even busier."

Although Harbin is now witnessing its coldest season, the city known for its ice and snow has become a hot tourist destination this winter, attracting countless visitors from across the country.

Data from the Harbin bureau of culture, broadcasting, TV and tourism show that during the three-day New Year holiday, the city welcomed nearly 3.05 million visitors, earning 5.91 billion yuan ($825.62 million) in revenue — a record high for tourism in Harbin during this period.

A report by online travel agency Ctrip said that during the New Year holiday, more than 75 percent of the tourists visiting Harbin were mainly from Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen, Guangdong. Bookings during the holiday rose by 158 percent year-on-year.

Among the city's scenic spots, Harbin Ice and Snow World is the most popular. The venue received 163,200 visitors during the New Year holiday, a year-on-year rise of 435 percent, and earned income of 46.18 million yuan, up by 494 percent year-on-year, data from the provincial department of culture and tourism show.

Park sets record

At the 2024 China Ice and Snow Tourism Development Forum held in Harbin on Friday, Harbin Ice and Snow World was recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest ice and snow park in the world, with an area of 816,682.5 square meters.

The park, which combines ice, snow, sound and lights, is in its 25th consecutive year of operation, and visitors can appreciate more than 1,000 artworks made from over 250,000 cubic meters of ice and snow.

They also enjoy a range of other activities, including a 521-meter ice slide, the longest built at the park to date. A giant Ferris wheel in the shape of a snowflake has also been set up to provide the experience of a dazzling landscape after dark.

Also on Friday, the 40th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival — the city's annual winter gala — opened at the park, welcoming visitors from around the world.

Liang Huiling, governor of Heilongjiang, said at the opening ceremony: "Heilongjiang has abundant ice and snow resources and is also the birthplace of China's modern ice and snow industry. The province is vigorously developing characteristic cultural tourism and carrying out a series of activities to promote the ice and snow economy.

"Since the start of the winter season, Harbin has received acclaim from home and abroad, which has helped accelerate the development of the entire province's snow and ice economy."

To attract more tourists and improve services, the authorities in Harbin have introduced a series of activities, including live performances on New Year's Eve, firework displays, theme parks, intangible cultural heritage shows, and concerts. Measures have also been taken to enhance the visitor experience in the city, covering sectors such as dining, accommodations, travel, shopping, and entertainment.

At the start of this year, the local government held a symposium aimed at improving service quality at hotels during the winter tourism season. It told hotel operators not to raise charges excessively, to avoid blindly adjusting charges, or to present false prices to customers. They were also told to provide high-quality services.

Officials said departments, including market supervision, culture and tourism, and public security, should further strengthen the supervision of hotel room rates, food safety, fire safety, social security, and service quality. They added that illegal acts that infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of tourists must be tackled firmly.

Delegates to the symposium from different hotels said that to comply with local government requirements, they have improved their services by extending breakfast hours, presenting local snacks to customers, increasing the number of lobby concierges, and providing souvenirs.

This month, more than 75 percent of the rooms have been reserved at Modern Hotel, which is located on Central Avenue, Harbin. Despite its name, the hotel boasts a history of over 100 years.

Liu Lingling, the hotel's general manager, said: "Reservations for the New Year holiday remained above 90 percent. We prepared hot ginger candy drinks, hot drinking water, a first aid box, and warm attire for our customers."

When night falls, residents and tourists can enjoy an evening of music on Central Avenue, as the hotel has launched a series of musical performances and dances on its second-floor balcony.

The transportation department has introduced measures to help tourists visit the city's main scenic spots.

For example, the Harbin Metro has extended its operating hours and issued free ferry tickets for use from the two stations on Sun Island to visit Ice and Snow World, which is hosting the 36th China Harbin Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo and the 25th Harbin Ice and Snow World.

Train service

In the middle of last month, China Harbin Railway Group launched a train service between Harbin and Mohe, Heilongjiang, the nation's most northerly city, themed on culture from Northeast China.

Some sleeper carriages and the dining car were decorated with elements from northeast folk culture, such as window paper cuttings and colorful bedsheets.

During the trip, passengers enjoyed local snacks and dressed in traditional northeastern clothing such as flower-print cotton-padded jackets. They also sang northeastern folk songs, made dumplings, and performed traditional northeastern dances.

Mu Shanshan, the train's conductor, said, "This service is a good way to spread folk culture from the northeast, which allows tourists from South China to better understand the region."

Liu Yuanqi, who comes from Hangzhou, Zhejiang, said: "My friends and I spent New Year's Eve at Harbin Ice and Snow World. As the dazzling fireworks lit up the night sky and turned the park into a fairytale world, it was one of the most unbelievable things I have ever seen.

"However, as we left the park late, it was difficult to find a taxi. But a private car emblazoned with the words' Welcome nanfang xiaotudou (southern spuds, an affectionate term for visitors from the south).I'll give you a ride for free' stopped in front of us and the driver said he could take us to our hotel.

"The driver refused payment. He told me he was happy to do something for his hometown, which also made me feel warm."

Apart from visiting scenic spots, many tourists to Harbin enjoy local delicacies such as tieguodun, or stewed meat and vegetables, made in a large iron pot.

Chen Weiwei, who comes from Taizhou, Zhejiang, and five friends went to a tieguodun restaurant directly after landing in Harbin in the evening on Jan 3.

"All the ingredients, including the meat, vegetables and steamed twisted rolls were cooked in a large pot. It is quite a different taste compared with food from southern China, but we really loved it," Chen said.

"We also tried the local frozen pear snack, which was carefully sliced into bite-sized pieces and elegantly presented." Yao Lilong, general manager of a catering enterprise with 22 teiguodun restaurants across the city, said some customers spend more than two hours waiting for a table if they don't book in advance.

"However, it takes at least two days to confirm an available table. Most of the visitors come from southern regions, and prefer goose as their first choice," he said, adding, "Because the pot contains many ingredients, our waiters advise customers to order less food to avoid waste."

The tourism industry in Heilongjiang set records during the New Year holiday. The province welcomed nearly 6.62 million visitors, a year-on-year rise of 173.7 percent, and 18.4 percent higher than the national growth rate. It achieved tourism revenue of 6.92 billion yuan, a year-on-year rise of 364.7 percent, and 164 percent higher than the national growth rate.

Letter of thanks

On Dec 31, the authorities in Heilongjiang released a "New Year's Thank-You Letter to Domestic and Overseas Tourists" via local media to express their gratitude to visitors.

"Thanks for your enthusiastic visits to magnificent and beautiful Heilongjiang," the letter said. "Tourists' tracks at Harbin Ice and Snow World, Snow Town, the Yabuli Ski Resort, and Mohe, China's northernmost city, have created a beautiful landscape in the province."

The letter urged travelers to venture beyond the icy attractions of Harbin.

It pointed them to the barbecues of Qiqihar, the hot springs of Daqing, to dawn breaking in China's easternmost city of Fuyuan, and to Heihe on the Russian border, where they can "enjoy the integrated urban customs of Europe and Asia".

Acknowledging the importance of feedback, the letter welcomed tourists' suggestions, and promised to make improvements through the 12345 hotline and social media platforms.

This commitment was mirrored by government departments, which the letter said are strengthening market supervision and problem-solving processes.

The letter also recognized the power of user-generated content.

"All the short videos and travel articles you post online are the best promotion of Heilongjiang. Your likes and comments are also the greatest encouragement to Heilongjiang, as they can increase awareness of the province's unique scenery, high-quality products, and its warmhearted residents," it said.

He Jing, director of the Heilongjiang culture and tourism department, told China Central Television: "The popularity of Harbin is no accident, and since the start of 2023, we have been promoting Heilongjiang in a multidimensional way on new media platforms, establishing numerous destinations dubbed by netizens as must-visit attractions. Moreover, we have made every effort to optimize the tourism market environment."

The department is also paying more attention to comments made in online videos.

"We will do our best to meet tourists' needs," He said. "Some visitors said it would be better if the moon was shining when they took photos at Saint Sophia Cathedral, so we sent a drone to lift an artificial moon over the landmark. Others said it was too cold in Harbin, so we immediately built a number of small prefabricated houses for them to get warm.

"All these details can make tourists feel comfortable and respected, and they post news of them on the internet, receiving a warm response."

Experts said the authorities in Harbin and throughout Heilongjiang need to seriously consider ways to promote the long-term sustainable development of ice and snow tourism.

Wang Lili, a researcher at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Science and director of its Regional Economic Research Office, said: "Heilongjiang should well-inherit and advance its ice and snow culture, and constantly promote the creative transformation and innovative development of its culture. The province can transform the natural advantages of ice and snow into economic development advantages."

It can also improve its ice and snow smart tourism service platform and digitize services to help launch a personalized ice and snow tourism consumption model for different consumer groups, she said.

"Governments can improve emergency management capabilities, passenger flow statistics, and an early warning system with the application of 5G technology, the internet of things, and other comprehensive monitoring platforms," Wang added.

"The culture and tourism department can integrate tourism resources across the province, such as snowfields, forests, wetlands and hot springs to plan different tourism routes. The improved supply of tourism products can provide visitors with a variety of choices and extend the length of their stay in the province."