Exploring natural wonders of Arxan in north China's Inner Mongolia

The remote city of Arxan in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is reaping the benefits of a surge in winter tourism, standing out as an alternative to other popular destinations, as the country is experiencing another boom in ice and snow themed travel.

The name of the city, Haren Arxan, means "hot holy water" in the Mongolian language. Located on China's border with Mongolia, Arxan boasts a stretch of the Khalkha River that runs non-freezing due to the heat from an active volcanic cluster in the region, which also feeds the city's famous hot springs.

Discerning tourists have taken on a journey to this more secluded destination, where stunning winter scenery and a variety of ice and snow events are offered along with the relaxing mineral-rich thermal baths.

"Because my son has seen so many snow videos on his phone, he asked me, 'Can we go play in the snow?' To be honest, some of these places are either too crowded or overpriced. Arxan offers more bang for the buck," said Li Chunyan, a tourist from east China's Zhejiang Province.

Arxan's abundant natural resources once made it a logging hub. But since China shifted to forest preservation in the 1990s, the town's focus turned to tourism.

Local government official Sun Hailong has witnessed Arxan's transformation over the past 25 years. From desolate beginnings, the town saw roads paved and an airport built.

Last year, Arxan recorded more than 5 million tourist visits, but most of them were received during the summer. The government has now set a goal of attracting more winter tourists.

Significant investments are being made to boost tourism in Arxan. Last year, the equivalent of over 2 million U.S. dollars of government funding was spent on tourism projects, a staggering amount given the city's GDP amounts to just over 3 million dollars. This extraordinary commitment shows the local government's confidence in tourism as a cornerstone of its future.

"We welcome everyone around the world to come and see this winter wonderland," Sun said in an invitation to the audience via China Global Television Network (CGTN).

Exploring natural wonders of Arxan in north China's Inner Mongolia

People in the Republic of the Congo say they are looking forward to expanding cooperation with China to more fields including medicine.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is going to visit the central African country on Tuesday, as part of his four-nation tour of Africa.

Officials said that the two sides will implement some of the programs that were agreed upon at last year's Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing.

Economic relations between China and the Republic of the Congo date back to the 1960s.

Over the years, China has built factories, roads and bridges that have helped transform the country's agriculture-based economy into a semi-industrialized one.

Crude oil, copper and wood have been the Republic of the Congo's major exports to China, according to global trade data.

Congolese people hope their government can work to strengthen relations with one of the country's most important partners. In addition to infrastructure, people say some of the other areas that China and the Republic of the Congo plan to develop include health, agriculture and security.

"For me I think cooperation should extend to the healthcare sector, as we know that Chinese are good at medicine," said Ragma Nganga, a university student in Brazzaville.

"Cooperation between China and Congo has been remarkable especially in infrastructure projects. Chinese have built many roads," said Josue Mifoundou, a local digital media practitioner.

In 2018, China and the Republic of the Congo signed a memorandum of understanding on projects under the Belt and Road Initiative - China's flagship infrastructure initiative that's helping link Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa to China through ports, roads and railways.

Congolese people anticipate expanded cooperation with China