PR88460

Harbin, China, March 11, 2021 /Xinhua=KYODO JBN/--

On a bitterly cold morning, the screams and cheers from the tourists broke the

peace of the forest sea and snow plain of Yabuli Ski Resort,located in Harbin,

capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang province. Skiing enthusiasts were

experiencing the speed and excitement brought by this unique winter sports.

"Amazing! It is a really an impressive skiing experience!" Sun Bin, a tourist

from Guangzhou, was so excited that he couldn't wait to slide down the mountain.

Known as either the "Oriental Moscow" or "Oriental Paris", Harbin won fame in

late 1800s and early 1900s after construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway

financed by then Russia Empire. Apart from its unique combination of oriental

and European architectural styles, the city is also known for its ice and snow

festivals in winter.

In 1963, Harbin held its first ice lantern fair. Diverse winter activities

gradually began to appear since then, and the first ice and snow festival was

held in 1985.

Ice and snow have become a magnet for tourism in Harbin, which has been

vigorously promoting winter tourism by making full use of its sufficient ice

and snow resources.

After development of a few decades, Harbin has gained international attention

for its increasingly popular winter extravaganza, the International Ice and

Snow Festival, which features massive, elaborate ice sculptures, competitions

and winter sports.

In the "2021 China Ice and Snow Tourism Development Online Forum", Harbin

ranked first among the "China Top 10 Ice and Snow Tourism Destinations". Every

winter, visitors from home and abroad inundate Harbin, increasing consumption,

creating jobs and stimulating the local economy.

Every winter, the city sees record numbers of bank transactions and airport

passengers. Visitors are finding it difficult to find hotel rooms and taxis.

The passenger throughput of Harbin Taiping International Airport ranks first

among the four major airports in Northeast China for five consecutive years.

Boosted by strong consumer demand, tourism industry has become a pillar of

growth for the economy of the city. During the 13th five-year Plan period

(2016-2020), Harbin received 406 million tourists and made tourism revenue of

627.13 billion yuan (around 96.39 billion U.S. dollars), which was 1.46 times

and 1.86 times that during the 12th five-year Plan (2011-2015) respectively.

Source: The People's Government of Harbin Municipality