A giant array of snowmen is seen on the Songhua River in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on January 2, 2024. Photo: IC

In the winter of 2023, Harbin, capital city of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, became popular among tourists, with travelers from all places flocking to city to enjoy the ice and snow. 

According to media reports, as of December 20, 2023, Harbin Airport's passenger throughput had exceeded 20 million, becoming the first airport in Northeast China to handle 20 million passengers in 2023. 

Harbin Ice and Snow World also ranked among the top three popular attractions on the first day of the New Year's Day holidays. On social media platforms, Harbin became popular with topics such as "frozen pear," "ice and snow world disco," and "overnight at the bathhouse." Faced with a large number of tourists, the local government has implemented measures to ensure a comfortable travel experience, such as giving southern visitors the nickname "little potatoes," turning the city's subway into a free shuttle, and allowing citizens to use their private cars to pick up and drop off tourists. These "spoiling" measures have become popular and have left a deep impression on tourists. 

The crowdedness of the bathhouses in Harbin is comparable to that of the Spring Festival travel rush, with many southern tourists directly entering the bathhouses with their luggage to experience bathing. "As a southerner, I was very excited to see snow for the first time and also experienced the local bathing culture," said one tourist from South China's Guangdong Province.