The scenery at the Shapotou scenic spot

When the desert meets ice and snow, the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, has become a new destination for many tourists in the winter of 2024. 

With a series of new winter cultural and tourism activities such as the ice and snow carnival, desert stargazing, desert health preservation, and intangible cultural heritage experience, both the number of tourists and the revenue of the Shapotou scenic spot have reached new highs for the same period of the year.

Compared with the Spring Festival in 2023, the number of tourists visiting the Shapotou scenic spot has increased by 596.8 percent, while revenue has also achieved a strong growth of 236.64 percent, igniting "winter tourism passion" in the desert of northwestern China.

No off-season

Ningxia enjoys four months of ice and snow each winter, providing an ideal platform for winter tourism. Meanwhile, the Shapotou scenic spot, situated on the southern edge of the Tengger Desert, boasts unique desert landscapes, making it a distinctive tourism destination. 

However, in the past, tourism in Shapotou, much like the distinct fluctuations between hot and cold seasons in northwestern China, experienced significant differences between peak and off-peak seasons, often leading to an off-season which lasted half the year.

Since Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province began making headlines worldwide for its new brand of winter tourism, various parts of China have been leveraging their winter resources to unleash a "heating effect," and Shapotou is no exception. To counter a traditional low period of tourism, Shapotou ingeniously seized the opportunity of the "ice and snow economy" by hosting a series of themed activities, creating a distinctive "ice and snow" tourism brand.

During the Spring Festival of 2024, the first ice and snow lantern wonderland art festival was held at Xianglong Bay Ice and Snow World, about five kilometers from the Tengger Desert in Zhongwei. Traditional lanterns and modern ice sculptures complemented each other, as locals and tourists experienced the charm of ice and snow sports amid the dazzling lights, enjoying activities such as skiing and snowmobiling.

"Bringing Harbin's Ice and Snow World to Zhong­wei, combined with the local tradition of viewing lanterns, allows everyone to enjoy the pleasure of ice and snow, admire lanterns, and eat delicious food without having to travel too far. That was our original idea," said Liu Wenlong, chairman of Ice and Snow Romance (Ningxia) Tourism Management Company. Currently, Xianglong Bay Ice and Snow World has welcomed over 30,000 visitors and generated more than 4 million yuan ($557,000) in revenue.

During the Spring Festival holidays, Shapotou went all out with its ice and snow projects. In addition to the lantern wonderland art festival, a series of events were held, including an ice and snow carnival and a winter art light show at Jinsha Island. 

These activities introduced new winter cultural and tourism projects such as sightseeing, ice and snow recreation, folk customs experiences, rural accommodations, and wellness treatments. 

Four winter-themed tourist itineraries were launched, inviting visitors to explore Shapotou and its surrounding offerings. The three ice and snow tourism destinations such as Xianglong Bay, Jinsha Island and Hetan village welcomed nearly 60,000 visitors during the holidays.

The ice and snow lantern wonderland art festival in Zhongwei

Distinctive products

In the winter of Shapotou, tourists not only experience the beauty of the desert and the joy of ice and snow activities outdoors, but also have the opportunity to delve into various intangible cultural heritage indoors.

"In the long and cold winters of northwestern China, people used to spend extended periods indoors. Many intangible cultural heritage activities actually originated and were passed down during these periods," said Liu Peng, a city-level inheritor of sandstone painting. 

"Take paper-cutting for example. In winter, families would gather around the heated brick bed, with parents cutting and children learning. This is how the skills of paper-cutting have been passed down from generation to generation," said Liu. 

Shapotou has seized the opportunity of "experiencing intangible cultural heritage during winter" for the development of the cultural tourism industry. They have introduced a new approach called "intangible cultural heritage + homestay." 

Collaborating with "Starry Wilderness" homestay, the Zhongwei Shapotou Sandstone Painting Inheritance Protection Base has created an innovative new partnership. As reporters followed Liu Peng into the homestay along the stone path, they observed the quaint earthen walls, spacious front yard, wooden benches carved with intricate designs, and straw decorations. Inside the homestay's hall, visitors can find displays of handicrafts such as sandstone paintings, woolen blankets, ancient Yellow River porcelain, and handmade wine flasks, which were all crafted by intangible cultural heritage inheritors.

Cao Li, manager of "Starry Wilderness" homestay, told reporters that the "intangible cultural heritage + homestay" service has become a distinctive product of local homestays, attracting many tourists who specifically request to experience the unique offerings.

Xiaoguan, a visitor from Beijing, particularly enjoyed the atmosphere provided by the company. "Although this homestay may seem 'rustic' on thesurface, the rooms are clean and modern. Life is usually too fast-paced, so I want to experience a leisurely and relaxed lifestyle here. Brewing tea by the fireplace while doing sandstone paintings - I feel very content," Xiaoguan said. 

To enhance the atmosphere of the Spring Festival, Shapotou launched a series of activities such as "celebrating the Chinese New Year through intangible cultural heritage in Ningxia," "live streaming hometown during the New Year," and online exhibitions showcasing intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship. 

Additionally, events like the intangible cultural heritage and folk customs performances have been organized. These activities collectively attracted over 300,000 tourists, who enjoyed a magnificent feast of folk culture.

The vibrant and extraordinary intangible cultural heritage activities, along with the unique charm of folk customs, not only stirred up the enthusiasm for traditional craftsmanship and enhanced the festive atmosphere, but also contributed to the surge in winter tourism and encouraged tourists to extend their stay.

The Starry Hotel in the Tengger Desert

Immersive experiences

The encounter between the Yellow River and the Tengger Desert at Shapotou creates a unique landscape. How can desert tourism be reimagined to continuously attract visitors even in winter?

Shapotou's answer lies in promoting tourism through culture. Leveraging the brand of "Hometown of Stars" created by Ningxia, innovative desert stargazing tourism projects such as stargazing lectures, desert yoga, and sand therapy wellness have been introduced. These initiatives offer visitors a plethora of new experiences in desert tourism, transforming it from mere sightseeing to immersive exploration.

To promote winter desert tourism, Shapotou has launched a series of creative initiatives. During the Spring Festival holidays, the number of tourists at Shapotou increased nearly sixfold compared to the previous year, with the majority being young people and families with children. In light of this, Zhu Wenjun, president of the Shapotou Tourism Association in Zhongwei, emphasized the importance of addressing these tourists' desire for photo opportunities and ensuring that they fully enjoy their travel. 

Shapotou has reportedly garnered widespread attention with creatively shot winter desert snowy landscape videos, such as desert sunrises. These videos have amassed hundreds of thousands of views on short video platforms. 

Additionally, Shapotou conducted a special livestreaming event on Ctrip, a major online travel service platform in China, with the theme "Meeting the stars in the desert, Experiencing the magic of Ningxia," allowing viewers to explore the magnificent scenery and unique charm of Shapotou during winter, as well as learn about various cultural and tourism promotions during the Spring Festival. This livestreaming event attracted 967,000 viewers, successfully drawing visitors to Shapotou for winter tourism.

Located deep in the heart of the Tengger Desert and dubbed the "world's loneliest hotel," the Starry Hotel in Shapotou has also launched special winter projects, adding more excitement to the Spring Festival tourism boom in Shapotou.

"We have optimized our unique tourism projects such as sand therapy and stargazing," said Zhou Quan, manager of the Starry Hotel. "Sand therapy is beneficial for the body during the cold winter, turning desert tourism into a wellness journey. Additionally, the winter weather conditions are ideal for stargazing, making it a great parent-child bonding experience," Zhou said.

According to statistics, during the Spring Festival, the Starry Hotel had an average occupancy rate of over 90 percent, surpassing the levels of previous years for the same period.

A visitor surnamed Bao from Dongguan, South China's Guangdong Province along with his children, spent three days and two nights in Shapotou. He said that "I never imagined that the desert in winter could be so enjoyable. Watching the snow and stargazing in the desert is an experience we cannot have in south China. This trip was truly worthwhile, and we will definitely come back if we have the chance!"