The 9th Asian Winter Games officially commenced in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Friday, marking a significant milestone for the region's ice and snow economy. From the 2022 Beijing Winter Games to the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, a passion for ice and snow has swept across the nation, while also injecting vitality into winter sports around the world.
Dubbed China's \"Ice City,\" Harbin is renowned for its breathtaking ice sculptures and winter festivities, which attract millions of visitors annually.
According to the Harbin Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, the city's ice and snow attractions have seen a remarkable surge in visitors. Since the opening of the Harbin Ice and Snow World, total tourist arrivals have increased by 21.3 percent year-on-year.
In 2024 alone, Harbin welcomed a record-breaking 179 million visitors, generating 231.42 billion yuan ($31.75 billion) in tourism revenue — both figures reflecting over 30 percent growth compared to the previous year. From December 2024 to February 2025, total visitor numbers are expected to rise by 15 percent. Since early February, domestic flight bookings to Harbin have jumped by more than 20 percent, while hotel reservations have surged nearly 60 percent.
A major draw this season has been the Harbin Ice-Snow World, a Guinness World Record holder for the world's largest ice and snow theme park. This year, the park is showcasing intricate ice sculptures inspired by iconic landmarks from 42 countries, and three regions of the Olympic Council of Asia. Since reopening 47 days ago for the 2024-2025 winter season, the park has recorded over 2.7 million visits, including a single-day high of more than 100,000 entries on February 1.
