'Ice city' hot destination for SE Asian tourists

As the nation experiences sweltering heat during the sanfu period — the hottest part of summer based on the Chinese calendar — Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province known to many as China's "Ice city", is embracing a comfortable 23 C, welcoming waves of tourists escaping the heat.

Data from Harbin Orange Vacation Travel Service Co Ltd show that the company received a total of 1,300 summer vacationers from Southeast Asian countries in June.

"May, June, September and October are the peak months for inbound tourism from Southeast Asia," said Wang Hongxin, the company's general manager. "This summer, the comfortable climate in Harbin has made it an attractive destination for tourists."

"In June, we received over 60 summer vacation groups from Southeast Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, marking a year-on-year increase of 30 percent," he said. "Bookings for September have already exceeded 100 groups and over 2,000 visitors, with some reservations extending into the end of 2026."

With the increasing popularity of Harbin, the customer base is also expanding.

"In addition to traditional customer sources, emerging markets such as Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines and Laos are also rapidly increasing this summer," Wang added.

The rising popularity of inbound tourism in Harbin is driven by multiple favorable factors, according to Wang.

"The continuous increase in charter flights has broken through transportation bottlenecks, providing convenience for visitors," said Wang. "Visitors from Southeast Asia and other regions can now reach Harbin more easily, significantly reducing time spent traveling."

"The improvement of tourism facilities, from comfortable accommodation to rich scenic experiences, also allows visitors from afar to enjoy their journey with peace of mind," he said. "In addition, the simplification of inbound tourism visa procedures enables more people to easily plan their trips."

After enjoying their time in Harbin, many vacationers extend their itineraries to areas further north, such as Yichun and Mohe.

"In past years, most tourists chose destinations such as Changbai Mountain in Jilin province or Panjin in Liaoning province after their trip to Harbin," said Wang. "However, this summer, more of them chose to continue their trip in Heilongjiang."

A chartered tourist train, named "Yichun", offers guests an extraordinary experience aboard one of the best-quality trains dedicated to sightseeing in the country.

Run by the Yichun Tourism Development Group and the Harbin Railway Culture and Tourism Group, the dedicated sightseeing train caters exclusively to tourists and is fitted with compartments for dining and entertainment to add to its appeal.

"In April, we launched a themed tourist train from Harbin to Yichun, carrying over 100 tourists from countries and regions such as Singapore and Malaysia," said Wang Yuyao, chairman assistant of the Yichun Tourism Development. "The passengers embarked on a unique journey to experience the world of Chinese movies."

"After the trip, the chartered train received a very positive response among tourists from Southeast Asian countries," he said. "Bookings for the tourist train have been scheduled until the end of 2026, with plans for 10 trips in the initial stages."

Data from the Harbin immigration station show that in July, a total of 61,000 inbound and outbound passengers were inspected at Harbin Airport, an increase of nearly 10,000 compared with the number in June and a year-on-year increase of 19.3 percent.

Among them, the number of inbound foreign passengers was nearly 10,000, with a year-on-year increase of 15.9 percent.