Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province is capitalizing on its abundant ice and snow resources to fuel the growth of its winter economy, with the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World emerging as a standout attraction.
Spanning 1 million square meters, a theme park has drawn millions of visitors this season, highlighting the province's innovative approach to winter tourism and its ambitious plans for the future. As of 22:00 on Thursday, the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World had been in operation for 61 days, attracting a total of 3.31 million visitors. The park saw its highest single-day attendance on Feb 1 with over 100,000 visitors.
Nearly 87 percent of the visitors were from outside Heilongjiang Province, with the largest contingents coming from Guangdong in the south and Jiangsu Provinces in the east.
"It's really cold, but really fun, too. I love northeast China," said He Zhongbei, a visitor from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China.
"There's no snow in Hong Kong, so we came here to experience it. It's amazing how many different scenic spots have been turned into ice sculptures. They are so delicate and exquisite," shared two tourists from Hong Kong.
As a leading province in ice and snow tourism, Heilongjiang is committed to fully utilizing its rich and unique winter cultural and tourism resources to create world-class winter vacation destinations and a hub for the ice and snow economy.
"We will continue to expand the positive impact of the Asian Winter Games and transform attractions like the Harbin Ice and Snow World, China Snow Town, and Mohe Arctic Village into high-quality winter tourism destinations. By 2030, we aim to make ice and snow consumption a significant driver of domestic demand, with the total output value of the ice and snow industry exceeding 45 billion yuan (about 6 billion U.S. dollars)," said Qi Bin, deputy director of the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.
Harbin Ice-Snow World attracts millions as Heilongjiang boosts winter economy
The China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum is expected to bring new vitality to the global development and human civilization, said Colombian President Gustavo Petro in Beijing.
Petro, who delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum on Wednesday, told China Media Group (CMG) in an interview, while giving a special mention of the importance of the forum as a platform to reshape multilateralism.
"This Forum, held here in China, comes at a pivotal moment in history. And that's precisely what makes it so significant. It is taking place at a time when multilateralism is in urgent need of reshaping. There are some powers who believe they can rule the world through intimidation and shows of force. But with China and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries standing together, we must make them understand: history is full of hard lessons. Those who once flexed their military might did not prevail. They may have enjoyed momentary success in the past, but this time, history will not repeat itself," he said.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-CELAC Forum's operation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping stated in his speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum that under the careful cultivation of both sides over the past 10 years, the China-CELAC Forum has grown from a tender sapling into a towering tree.
Petro hailed the relations between China and LAC countries over the past decade, saying that the cooperation is expected to energize the global development and human civilization.
"Yes, exactly, a tree. A strong and thriving tree, with deep and well-developed roots firmly anchored in the earth. There's no doubt that over the past ten years, trade in physical goods between China and LAC countries has grown substantially. China is involved in building the Bogota metro project. China is also constructing a port in Peru, and many other large-scale infrastructure projects are being advanced through Chinese investment and engineering expertise. When we link the cultural and civilizational threads of China and LAC countries, it's as if we are nurturing a living tree, one that grows tall toward the sky and promises to bring new vitality to the human civilization," he said.
China-CELAC Forum brings new vitality to global development: Colombian president
