Photo: CFP

The city of Harbin in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, known as one of the top winter destinations in China, warmly welcomes friends from other countries to visit Harbin, the city of ice, watch the athletes bring out their best, enjoy winter sports, and learn about a diverse China through the charm of ice and snow, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

The spokesperson issued the statement as the city gains growing attention for making the games next year's tourism theme, while local media reported that foreign traveler numbers are projected to rise by 20 percent during the games.

The 9th Asian Winter Games will be held in Harbin from February 7 to 14, 2025, according to the official website of the Olympic Council of Asia.

Mao said that the 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025 is another major comprehensive international sports event that China hosts after the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. It's also another opportunity for Chinese and people elsewhere to deepen exchanges and enhance friendship, Mao added.

From December this year to February next year, the total number of visitors to Harbin is expected to increase by 15 percent, with tourist from other domestic regions projected to rise by 20 percent, citing Wang Hongxin, head of the city's culture and tourism bureau, according to China Media Group. 

Meanwhile, the Harbin Taiping International Airport began implementing the 240-hour visa-free transit policy starting from December 17, the National Immigration Administration said. The policy extended the permitted stay for foreign nationals from the previous 72 hours and 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days. 

As of December 19, Harbin Taiping International Airport had handled over 500,000 passengers this year, up 183 percent year-on-year, according to the China Youth Daily. Among them, inbound foreign nationals totalled 136,000, representing a 181 percent rise from the previous year.

Harbin has been actively preparing to facilitate both domestic and international visitors.

The city has set up teams for airport, train station and recommended entry/exit port operations, finalized arrival and departure flow designs, established service points, and introduced customs streamlining and courtesy protocols, according to Bai Zhiguo, a deputy secretary-general of the organizing committee, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday. The arrival and departure management system has been completed and officially operated on December 6.

China has previously hosted the Asian Winter Games twice, one in Harbin in 1996 and the other in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin Province in 2007.