China's snow and ice tourism is entering peak season as the colder months set in, with a series of new attractions and activities launched by local authorities to lure visitors from far and wide.
At the iconic Ice and Snow World in Changchun City in northeast China's Jilin Province, fireworks light up the night sky alongside a spectacular sound and light show.
The park area expands to 1.56 million square meters this year, featuring 200 snow sculpture displays. To enhance visitor experience, local authorities have introduced a variety of winter activities, including live performances, photo opportunities, and diverse cuisines.
In Wuwei City, northwest China's Gansu Province, tourists can enjoy skiing while also immersing themselves in the local culture at nearby resorts.
In Baotou City, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, authorities have introduced a series of intangible cultural heritage experiences, such as paper-cutting, to appeal to visitors who come to admire the majestic winter landscape of the Yellow River.
In Manasi County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, traditional horseback sheep-catching competitions have been drawing large crowds of tourists.
"The horse racing and sheep-catching competitions are amazing. The excitement of the chase shows the speed and passion of the participants in winter," said Wang Haobo, a tourist.
In southern China, several ski resorts have gradually been opening to the public.
In Chengdu City, Sichuan Province in the southwest, the Xiling Snow Mountain Ski Resort offers over various activities for tourists to enjoy the winter season.
Meanwhile, a newly upgraded ski resort in Enshi City in the northern Hubei Province, now features new camping areas and guesthouses, attracting tourists from all over the country.
"I expect to have lots of fun on the ice and snow as I plan to stay here for a night or two to fully experience the winter atmosphere," said Hu Rong, a tourist.
Winter tourism heats up across China
A revolutionary agricultural project, jointly developed by Chinese experts and Pakistani researchers, is taking shape in Pakistan's Punjab province, driving innovation on an unprecedented scale and aiming to tackle food insecurity, a pressing issue both domestically and globally.
Spanning over 5,000 acres (more than 2,000 hectares), a high-tech farm in the province is at the forefront of transforming Pakistan's agricultural landscape.
It's part of a larger effort to achieve food security by leveraging cutting-edge technologies and collaborative expertise.
At the heart of this project is the use of high efficiency irrigation systems and state-of-the-art agricultural machinery.
By integrating both imported Chinese equipment and locally manufactured tools, the goal here is clear - maximize yields while minimizing costs.
"We have taken advantage of Chinese technology, especially in agricultural mechanization. We have introduced and imported state-of-the-art Chinese tractors which are very comfortable and work at scale. They have a higher rate of efficiency per day per person than our traditional model of tractors," said Sarfaraz, a farm manager.
Pakistan's agricultural sector has long faced challenges. With more than 60 percent of farmers relying on low-quality seeds from informal markets, the initiative seeks to bridge the gap by developing hybrid seeds better suited to changing climatic conditions.
Beyond crops, the initiative extends to livestock and dairy farming. Pakistan's milk and meat sector remain largely under commercialized. This project aims to change that by introducing large-scale and tech-driven livestock farms.
"The main purpose of this project is to import animals that are high in milk and meat quantity to increase our milk and meat production at the national level," said Shamraiz Akram, a livestock manager.
With modern technologies, these farms aim to improve productivity while boosting local economies through job creation and supply chain development.
Food processing and distribution are also key components. With several economic zones under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor focusing on agri-processing, projects like this are strategically positioned to tap into larger markets.
China-Pakistan project contributes to food security in Pakistan
