Ice-and-snow fever

This winter, Harbin has been experiencing another tourism boom with upgraded tourism facilities, improved visitor services and an international sports event.

During the Spring Festival holiday, which ran from Jan 28 through Feb 4, the city welcomed 12.15 million visitors, a 20.4 percent year-on-year increase. It also saw a 144.7 percent surge in inbound tourists during this period, according to statistics from Harbin's culture, radio, television and tourism bureau.

The 9th Asian Winter Games, held from Feb 7 through 14, attracted 1,200 athletes from 34 Asian countries and regions, putting the city under the spotlight. Meituan Travel said searches for "Asian Winter Games" surged 862 percent on its platform in the first week of February compared with the previous month.

Harbin Ice and Snow World, the city's iconic attraction, had over 3 million visits, a record for the event, during its 52 days of operation.

Built with 300,000 cubic meters of ice and snow, the park was expanded to 1 million square meters this winter, the largest since it started in 1999.

Luo Xin, deputy general manager of Harbin Ice-Snow World Co, said the venue integrated elements of the Asian Winter Games, creating a more dazzling winter wonderland.

The number of lanes at this year's Super Ice Slide, the longest the park has ever had, was increased from 16 to 24. A 300-meter-long windproof structure was erected in the line-up area, allowing visitors to enjoy the scenery while being protected from the cold.

"A series of activities, including an ice harvest festival, a new fantasy show, outdoor performances and ice carving competitions, have enriched the visitor experience," Luo said.

Wang Hongxin, director of Harbin's culture, radio, television and tourism bureau, said the city has been striving to provide a thorough and multilevel experience for domestic as well as foreign tourists.

There are over 1,300 bank branches in the city that can handle foreign currency exchanges and more than 5,800 shops that can accept foreign card payments, he said.

On Harbin's Central Street, icy stairs were covered with nonslip carpets, while the railings were wrapped in frost-resistant material. Tourists had easy access to services including free Wi-Fi, temporary rest areas, ginger tea, hot water and luggage storage.

The city also launched eight special tourist bus routes that connected nearly all major attractions and ice-and-snow tourism facilities. In addition, the Harbin Metro extended its operating hours to better serve visitors.