In China's coldest places, tourism warms up

Jilin joins in

Neighboring Jilin province also boasts great advantages for winter tourism. It is loaded with venues and facilities, said Yang Andi, director of the provincial culture and tourism bureau, adding that the province has worked to develop its ice and snow industry in recent years.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the province received only 2.19 million tourists last winter season, compared with the 2.95 million during 2018-19.

During this winter tourism season, which started in mid-November, nearly 300 snow-and ice-themed activities will be held across the province, offering a broad range of options for tourists.

The fifth Jilin International Ice and Snow Industry Expo was held from Dec 25 to Dec 29 in Changchun's capital, Jilin. Covering an area of 100,000 square meters, the expo featured nearly 80 museums and more than 400 enterprises.

As the only ice-and snow-themed expo in the country, the event promoted a combination of Winter Olympics themes, winter culture, ice and snow tourism and winter sports in Jilin.

On Dec 18, the 26th International Rime Ice and Snow Festival kicked off in Jilin. Trees in areas along the Songhua River and Rime Island will be covered by a special type of frost resembling granular tufts of ice. These occur only under specific climatic conditions in which warm, moist air rises from the river and freezes as it encounters the cold air above.

The best time for tourists to observe this spectacular phenomenon in the city is between November and February.