Tourists visit the Harbin Ice and Snow World. Photo: VCG

On the last day of 2023, the Heilong­jiang Provincial Tourism Work Joint Conference Office released a thank-you letter which was published by several ­local media outlets. 

"We thank you for your heartfelt enthusiasm in your visits to Heilongjiang… This winter, you brought joy and life to this land. It's so great to have you here."

At Harbin Ice and Snow World, a renowned ice-and-snow theme park in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, tourists gathered to count down toward 2024 surrounded by more than 1,000 ice and snow sculptures and artistic installations lit up by fireworks.

Besides the ice-and-snow sculptures, a diverse range of winter activities were available for visitors to enjoy. Ice slides were among the most popular activities. Many didn't mind the two-to-three-hour waits for these slides with the longest being 521 meters in length. Additionally, hovercrafts and bicycles on ice, ferris wheels and hot air bal-loons that allowed visitors to appreciate the panorama of the magic world from above also attracted long lines of visitors. When night fell, the ice sculptures lit up in different colors, and live music and DJs added more vibrancy to the colorful ice and snow world, where tens of thousands of visitors danced to the music together not only to keep themselves warm, but also for the pure joy of it. 

According to the National Business Daily, on Saturday, the first day of China's three-day New Year holidays in 2024, the number of tours for Harbin increased by 202 percent year-on-year. Harbin Ice and Snow World also ranked among the top three popular attractions in the country. On Sunday, the tourist spot announced it was suspending the sale of tickets for that day as the number of visitors had reached capacity. 

"Tickets will be on sale as normal tomorrow. Please arrange your visit reasonably and visit during off-peak hours," said the announcement.

Beyond the Harbin Ice and Snow World, the city was packed with tourists at other hot spots such as Central Street, a culture-rich pedestrian street in downtown Harbin. Originally constructed in 1898 for the transportation of railway supplies, the 1,450-meter-long Central Street is a showcase of Western architecture during different eras, including Baroque, Renaissance, Eclecticism and Art Nouveau. While visitors appreciated the history and beauty of these buildings, they were also enjoying local specialties such as Modern ice cream, a time-honored local brand, and red sausage, a kind of garlic-flavor smoked sausage with a dark red surface. Initially imported by Russians more than 100 years ago, red sausage has become an integral part of local people's daily cuisine.

Visitors who were going for a fully immersive experience didn't just stick to tourist spots like Siberian Tiger Park and Harbin Polarland, but went to farmers' markets and bathhouses usually frequented by locals. 

During this tourism boom, many visitors felt the warmth of local people, be they in the tourism industry or just average residents. Outside Saint Sophia Cathedral, a former Russian Orthodox church, a lot of visitors were taking photos. To keep them warm, local authorities set up temporary cabins and provided hot tea for free. Many local residents also volunteered to drive around the city to pick up tourists and give them free rides. 

Back in March and April, Zibo, a former industrial base in East China's Shandong Province, made an about-face, becoming the hottest travel destination in the country in about a month or so with its special barbecue and great service. Many young people, especially college students, picked "special forces-style tourism" to explore as many as attractions and indulge in the diverse cuisines in the city while minimizing both time and expense. The wave of tourism in Zibo captured the public's attention.

"Under the guidance of the government, local people from various walks of life joined efforts to help local tour-ism development, establishing a good start and forming a sort of model for other cities to learn from. Whether it is Zibo Barbecue or Harbin Ice and Snow Tourism, they have given full play to their own characteristics and ad-vantages, becoming irreplaceable and gaining a resounding reputation. Moreover, they have established a good image for local cities by providing good services and tourist experiences. This will also boost these cities' image and play a positive role in attracting investment," Zhang Yiwu, a Chinese language and literature professor at Peking University, told the Global Times.