Harbin Ice and Snow World in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province

As its inbound travel orders surged and search volumes increased, Harbin has become the brightest star on the Chinese tourism map, attracting attention from both at home and abroad, according to a recent report by chinanews.com.cn.

Harbin's tourism boom was seen as a miracle and the city has seen a surge in inbound travel orders with many overseas travel companies offering tickets and booking services to the "frozen wonderland" of Harbin in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, according to the report.

The city has become a trending topic on search engines Google and overseas social media, with Google searches for Harbin reaching peak popularity for the term, a value of 100 in terms of interest over time. The city's search ranking has remained within the top 50 over the past one month, according to the report.

Data from the travel service provider Trip.com also revealed that Harbin has become one of the most popular tourist destinations for international travelers. The city in Northeast China recorded a 42 percent of increase in inbound trips over the past 15 days as of January 10, according to the platform.   

As it detailed, the top three departing countries were Malaysia, Thailand and Russia.

"Since the beginning of 2024, Harbin has once again attracted global attention and may rise again in the future," one netizen wrote on YouTube.

On the website of online travel portal Tripadvisor, a foreign travel guidance company, there are more than 42,000 reviews about traveling experience in Harbin as of the press time. According to Tripadvisor travelers, the ice festival is worth braving the cold. Harbin is beautiful, the food is great and it's a short train ride to Yabuli to go skiing.  

On Booking.com, an online hotel and accommodation booking platform, one can find nearly 30 services related to tourism in Harbin. Meanwhile, a UK-based search aggregator and travel agency Skyscanner were also offering different routes from many cities to Harbin.

The hit tourist spot boasting a wide range of attractions and cultural activities has gained buzz amongst foreign internet users. 
 
According to a recent report released by the Beijing Normal University, Harbin ranks the 20th out of China's 337 cities, in the comprehensive index of overseas communication capacity in 2023. 

Since December 2021, the city has opened its official accounts on overseas social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. On Instagram, there are more than 283,000 posts related to Harbin.

After the city becomes a tourism sensation this winter, these official accounts have been working with celebrity travel bloggers and photographers to attract more travelers. For instance, a video blog posted on the Harbin's online accounts and an overseas blogger named passportmy have received many online views and likes from international readers.

These social media accounts have opened a new window for those who are eager to feel the charm and the vitality of the ice city, said the report, noting that as the 9th Asian Winter Games is scheduled for February 2025 in the China's latest viral city, this unique tourist spot will find its new opportunities for pursing high development. Meanwhile, as Harbin has become an instant star for its ice, snow economy, hospitality of its people, it also demonstrates that the city is gaining more international recognition.