Hundreds of Syrians have crossed back into their home country since the border gates reopened earlier this month, sparking mixed reactions among Turkish residents over the economic and social effects of their departures.
At the peak of the Syrian conflict, approximately 3.7 million Syrians sought refuge in Türkiye. Currently, it is estimated that around 3 million remain. Many are now preparing to return to their homeland following the sudden collapse of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.
Al-Assad has reportedly resigned and arrived in Russia for asylum as his government collapsed on Sunday following a sweeping offensive by militant groups.
In the district of Reyhanli, situated in the Turkish border city of Hatay, Syrian refugees now constitute a larger population than the local residents. Over time, they have become integrated into the community, establishing businesses, opening stores, and contributing significantly to the local economy.
Since the onset of the Syrian conflict, Türkiye has extended its hospitality to Syrian refugees. However, in recent years, rising anti-migrant sentiment, driven by economic challenges and surging inflation, has grown more pronounced.
"The city will be more comfortable, it will breathe, and the unemployed will find jobs if we look at the reality of the situation. Most people here are unemployed, but if the Syrians leave, there will be a gap, and the unemployed here will get jobs," said a local resident.
Others pointed out that Syrian migrants have brought economic benefits, particularly for homeowners and business owners in Reyhanli.
"About 80 percent of Reyhanli's people rely on Syrians. Reyhanli's people have benefited greatly from Syrians in every way," said a local resident.
"There will be no workers left here. For example, agricultural workers in the fields, those in workshops, restaurants—there will be problems everywhere. There are agricultural workers in the fields, workers in workshops and factories, for instance, construction workers. Syrians work for cheap. But our Turkish workers have become a little arrogant. They don't work for low wages," said Huseyin Yumusak, local head of the Baglar neighborhood.
However, he said, the departure of Syrians could ease overcrowding in schools.
"Each class has 40 to 60 students. If there were no Syrians, classes would have only 10 to 15 students. In that case, teachers would work more comfortably, principals would work more comfortably, and students would study more comfortably," Yumusak said.
Although the return of Syrian refugees has commenced, the numbers remain negligible compared to the millions still residing in Türkiye. For those eager to repatriate, the process will require time. The broader economic and social impacts of this development are expected to become more apparent in the months and years ahead.
Reopening of border gates sparks mixed reactions in Türkiye as Syrians plan their return
Northern Chinese cities are well prepared for the booming winter tourism season, having crafted unique experiences that center around ice and snow.
In Harbin, the coldest major city in China's chilly northeastern Heilongjiang Province, workers have been busy constructing a magical theme park known as Harbin Ice and Snow World.
Every winter, this park transforms into a dazzling wonderland of grand ice sculptures and structures, temples, castles, and even icy slides stretching up to 500 meters long.
None of the giant ice blocks used in the construction are man-made. They mostly come from an ice stock carved straight from the Songhua River, which flows right through Harbin.
Approximately 200,000 cubic meters of ice stock can be kept for up to a year, even into the summer, because multiple layers cover it, preventing warm air and sunlight from getting through.
Sun Zemin, deputy director of the sales and marketing department of the Harbin Ice and Snow World, explained why the city uses ice stocks instead of new ice.
"If we wait until the new river ice is thick enough to be collected, the timing would be around December 6th or 7th. That would delay our construction for about 10 days, which means our park will not be ready till the end of December," said Sun.
The opening period of the winter wonderland typically begins in the middle of December and lasts for about 60 days.
Last winter, Harbin went absolutely viral. The city became a magnet for millions of tourists almost overnight, and the Ice and Snow World received a record-breaking 2.7 million visits.
With a new wave of tourism expected, the operators of the theme park are expanding it to one million square meters this winter, about the size of 140 football fields.
The towering ice buildings may steal the spotlight, but what truly brings them to life are the intricate details crafted by master ice sculptors.
In a workshop in a local vocational school, students have been practicing sculpting techniques. Among the sculptures, one is shaped like Binbin, one of the mascots for the 9th Asian Winter Games, set to be held in Harbin in February 2025.
"As local Harbin residents, we are so proud that Harbin can hold the Asian Winter Games. So, we make mascots in different shapes to express our happiness. We also hope to use ice as a medium to showcase our mascots to more people," said Zhang Weixin, a teacher at Harbin No. 2 Vocational High School.
Meanwhile, as the temperature drops, more ski resorts in China are open to the public, offering thrilling snow sport experiences and colorful recreational activities for visitors.
In Yichun City, also in Heilongjiang, tourists can ride inflatable ring tubes down a 1,900-meter-long snow slope or ride a sleigh or snow motorcycle before dancing around a bonfire and watching low-to-the-ground 'iron flower' firework shows.
"We have created special cultural and tourism products such as parent-child study tours, folk cuisine tryouts, and ice and snow sports, and we launched 80 cultural and sports activities. We expect to receive hundreds of tourist groups and more than 200 study tour groups," said Wang Xiaowei, deputy director of the Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau of Yichun City.
In the Chongli Olympic Park in Zhangjiakou City of north China's Hebei Province, the newly-built Snow Ruyi Ski Resort began its trial operation on Sunday.
The resort is planned with a total ski area of 135 hectares for 31 trails. The resort has also set up a youth skiing competition arena and a dedicated rest area for young skiers. The competition arena is the first of its kind in China, designed specifically for training and competition events for young skiers.
Most of the snow sports events of the Beijing Olympic Winter Games were held in Chongli District. With unique natural resources, Chongli now has nine ski resorts, with a total length of ski trails exceeding 160 kilometers. It has become one of the premier ski destinations in China.
Chinese cities prepare frozen fun for winter tourism boom
