AsiaNet 200609

HARBIN, China, Dec. 11, 2024 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--From December 5th to 7th, representatives from more than twenty media outlets from over ten Asia-Pacific countries, including Pakistan, Laos, and Malaysia, invited by the the Heilongjiang Branch of Xinhua News Agency's News & Information Center, gathered in Harbin. They visited landmark ice and snow scenic spots, toured the venues of the Asian Winter Games, experienced the traditional ice harvesting festival ceremony, and deeply felt the unique winter charm of this "City of Asian Winter Games".

On December 7th, as the ice harvesting chant echoed on the Songhua River, the first ice of this winter, filled with blessings, was harvested from the Songhua River, marking the beginning of Harbin's "Ice Harvesting Season."

The ice harvesters, amidst the deafening drumbeats, walked towards the ice harvesting area against the wind, and in unison with the ice harvesting chant, they struck the frozen river surface with a heavy chisel, splashing countless ice flowers. The hot ice harvesting activity has also become a popular "check-in spot" for tourists to enjoy specialty cuisine, with river-boiled dumplings, river stewed river fish, and delicious frozen goods ice and snow banquets delighting tourists from home and abroad. Cultural and tourism experience activities combined with ice and snow features have also added a fashionable element to the ice harvesting festival.

Bodhipaksege Samith Manuranga, a media person from Sri Lanka, lives in a city without a "winter," and for the first time in December, he experienced the charm of ice and snow under a 50°C temperature difference.

"We visited the Dream Ice and Snow Pavilion, observed campus ice and snow classes, and experienced Chinese opera culture... This trip to Harbin is unforgettable," said Bodhipaksege Samith Manuranga.

Source: The Heilongjiang Branch of Xinhua News Agency's News & Information Center