China's northernmost city begins heating 16 days early

"I've experienced happiness from the comfortable room temperatures that we always admire in the winter," she said. "It's really a wonderful travel experience."

Located in the northernmost forest area of the Greater Hinggan Mountains, Mohe's winters are long and bitterly cold. Its annual average temperature during the season is 3.8 C, and the lowest on record was -53 C. For this reason, its heating period is among the longest in China.

"This year, we invested over 66 million yuan ($9.26 million) into renovating and maintaining the heating network, significantly improving the network's cold resistance and heating stability," said Ma Xiaochun, deputy director of Mohe's housing and urban-rural development bureau. "Moreover, the local government allocates more than 30 million yuan annually in heating subsidies to reduce the burden on residents."