The festive ways of a wintry world

Ice and Snow Amusement World in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Most visitors to Harbin, are drawn to visit by the giant multistory palaces giving off polychromatic glows from within at the Harbin Ice and Snow Amusement World, the snow sculptures at Sun Island and winter sports such as skiing and horse riding on the frozen Songhua River.

Yet, the winter fun there is just the tip of the iceberg with other parts of Heilongjiang offering different winter experiences for tourists to explore.

The province has five classic winter-travel itineraries featuring skiing, hot springs, ice-snow sightseeing and polar region experiences in places like Yabuli, Mohe, Daqing and Qiqihar.

For those like me from southern China who seldom see lots of snow, much less snow-ice-themed art, Heilongjiang does have a certain charm.

Major tourist sites in the city, including the ice and snow world and Sun Island have experienced a 40-65 percent growth in visits, during the period ending Feb 28, 2015, the Heilongjiang tourism authority reports.

More than 88 million tourists visited the province during the first nine months of 2015, representing a 22 percent growth year-on-year.