Prelude

As a travel blogger who grew up in southern China, I've always longed for the winter wonderland of the north. While there are places to experience snow sports in the south, they can't compare to the natural snow environment of the north. Harbin is incredibly popular this year, as it's preparing to host the 2025 Asian Winter Games, and the entire city is filled with a strong winter sports atmosphere.

I booked my flight a month in advance and barely managed to get my preferred flight. Honestly, this is my third visit to Harbin, but each time I discover new surprises. This visit was especially unique as the entire city has been transformed, with the influence of the Asian Winter Games visible everywhere. As an experienced travel blogger who has traversed China, I want to share the stunning experiences Harbin has brought me this winter.

Ice and Snow World

The 2024 Ice and Snow World has been absolutely crazy! It attracted nearly 640,000 visitors in just 20 days, several times more than the same period last year. I remember it was already crowded last year, but this year it's completely packed - even hotel rooms are hard to book.

This year's Ice and Snow World covers an area of 1 million square meters, using 300,000 cubic meters of ice and snow, twice the scale of previous years. This year's theme is "Winter Dreams in Asia's Heart," incorporating elements of the 2025 Asian Winter Games. My favorite is the massive ice sports venue complex, which perfectly recreates the main venues of the Asian Winter Games at a 1:1 scale - it's like a miniature ice city.

What attracted me most in the park were the high-tech interactive installations. For example, there's a giant LED ice wall that changes with visitors' movements, using multiple sensors to capture visitor movements and display cool light effects in real-time. I played there for over half an hour and took many photos for social media, which instantly went viral.

Another interesting project is the AI Ice and Snow Art Workshop. Visitors can describe their desired ice sculpture through voice commands, and the AI system immediately generates a 3D model, which is then crafted by robot sculptors. I had it make a "reindeer pulling a sleigh" sculpture, and the result was perfect - truly a unique souvenir!

The Ice and Snow World is even more breathtaking at night. The entire park is decorated with countless colored lights, like a fairy tale world. Especially impressive is this year's new "Aurora Night" themed area, which uses holographic projection technology to create aurora effects on the ice buildings, making visitors feel like they're in the Arctic Circle. I sat there for nearly an hour, waiting for the perfect moment to capture the most beautiful photo.

The park is also highly intelligent, with AI visual recognition systems installed throughout. For instance, if you get lost in the park, just stand by a navigation pillar for a moment, and it will recognize your location and use AR technology to guide you. This is probably the standard configuration for future tourist attractions!

The park has also added many rest areas this year, with warming spots every few hundred meters. These rest areas not only have heating but also offer free ginger tea and snacks, allowing visitors to replenish their energy at any time. I think this design is especially thoughtful, as you definitely need frequent breaks to warm up when playing in temperatures below -20 degrees.

Transportation Upgrades

Speaking of transportation, Harbin has been completely transformed this year. In January 2025, Taiping International Airport completed its expansion project, doubling the number of parking spaces and handling over 60 flights per hour. This means you'll no longer have to worry about getting flight tickets or dealing with delays when visiting Harbin.

The airport's hardware facilities have also been comprehensively upgraded, with Asian Winter Games elements visible everywhere. My favorite is the smart service system in the arrival hall, where you can check various real-time transportation information through large screens, including ride-hailing wait times and bus arrival times. After I landed, I directly called a car through the airport's self-service terminal, and by the time I got my luggage and reached the exit, the car was already waiting - no need to freeze in the cold wind.

On the way from the airport to the city, I noticed the road conditions were much better than last year. The newly built airport expressway has shortened the 40-minute journey to 25 minutes, and the ice and snow themed landscape along the way is particularly beautiful, becoming a dazzling corridor of light and shadow at night.

Loop Line Experience

During this visit to Harbin, I specifically experienced the recently popular high-speed rail loop. This route is amazing, connecting popular tourist cities like Harbin, Mudanjiang, and Jiamusi, and providing direct access to famous attractions like the Yabuli Ski Resort and Mirror Lake.

The train's decoration is very distinctive, featuring an ice and snow theme throughout. There's even a dedicated photography area in the carriages, with changeable electronic screens as backgrounds displaying real-time scenery of various attractions along the way. I took many photos there, each one looking incredibly beautiful.

The most surprising thing was the smart guide system on the train. Each seat is equipped with a tablet - just scan the QR code to access detailed information about all attractions along the route, including opening hours, ticket prices, and real-time visitor numbers. The system also recommends the most suitable travel routes based on season and weather.

I followed the system's recommended route this time. First spent two days touring Harbin city, then took the high-speed rail to Yabuli for a day of skiing, and finally visited Mirror Lake to see the ice waterfall. The entire itinerary was perfectly arranged, neither too rushed nor missing any major attractions.

The experience at Yabuli was excellent, with several new advanced slopes opened this year and the introduction of the latest snow-making system, significantly improving the quality of the slopes. Although I'm only an average skier, under the instructor's guidance, I successfully challenged the intermediate slope! The feeling of speeding through the pristine snow was absolutely amazing!

The ice waterfall at Mirror Lake is also a must-visit attraction. Due to the particularly low temperatures this year, the ice waterfall is especially spectacular, reaching several dozen meters high. Standing in front of the waterfall feels like being in the Snow Queen's castle - it's breathtaking! The day I went had perfect sunshine, making the ice waterfall sparkle - truly nature's most perfect artwork.

National Layout

Speaking of ice and snow tourism, we can't forget about Altay in Xinjiang. As the birthplace of skiing, the facilities and services here are very professional. I visited last winter and was deeply impressed by the snow quality. Whether it's ski jumping or halfpipe terrain, professional ski enthusiasts can get their fill of excitement.

The most thrilling is helicopter skiing, which is absolutely a paradise for extreme sports enthusiasts! Imagine taking a helicopter to reach untouched mountain peaks, then skiing through pristine powder snow - the sense of freedom and excitement is something you can't experience at ordinary ski resorts.

However, if you find these activities too intense, Altay also offers many relaxing entertainment options. For example, snowmobiling across vast snow plains, or snow tubing where you slide down slopes in an inflatable tube - both exciting and safe. My favorite is taking snow photographs at sunset, when the golden sunlight falls on the vast white snow plains, creating stunning shots effortlessly.

Even in the south, you can now experience the joy of ice and snow sports. The Shenzhen Carlo Ice and Snow Center is a great example, receiving 400,000 visitors this year, setting a new record. Although it's an indoor venue, the facilities are no less impressive than outdoor ones. I tried it last month - whether it's ice slides or building snowmen, it satisfies southerners' winter cravings.

What surprised me most were the professional training courses here. Whether it's skiing or snowboarding, there's one-on-one instruction from professional coaches. A friend of mine from Shenzhen learned skiing here and can now tackle advanced slopes. This shows that ice and snow sports truly know no north-south divide - you can excel anywhere if you're interested.

Booming Market

Harbin is undoubtedly the hottest winter tourism destination this year. In early December 2024 alone, hotel bookings in Harbin increased by over 30% compared to the previous year. I experienced this firsthand when booking hotels - many desirable hotels were fully booked a month in advance.

Harbin consistently tops the winter destination rankings on major online travel platforms. This isn't surprising, as Harbin is incredibly attractive this year. Not only does it have the traditional Ice and Snow World and Saint Sophia Cathedral, but also the upcoming Asian Winter Games - it's the perfect winter tourism destination.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has specially launched 12 premium winter tourism routes, allowing tourists from all over the country to enjoy ice and snow tourism. These routes are particularly well-designed, considering both the needs of tourists from different regions and different budgets. I think this is a great initiative that will help more people fall in love with winter sports.

I noticed a significant change in tourist demographics this year. Previously, ice and snow tourism was dominated by northern tourists, but now there's a noticeable increase in southern tourists. At the Ice and Snow World, I met many tourists from Guangdong and Fujian who said that although the weather was cold, the experience was fresh and worthwhile.

Notably, ice and snow tourism products have become more diverse this year. Beyond traditional sightseeing and sports activities, many cultural experience activities have been added. For example, you can learn to make ice lanterns with locals or participate in northeastern folk custom experiences. These in-depth experience programs are particularly popular, with many sessions fully booked several days in advance.

Final Thoughts

This trip to Harbin has given me a new perspective on China's ice and snow tourism. From south to north, from outdoor to indoor, ice and snow tourism is developing and innovating at an unprecedented pace. Both hardware facilities and software services have reached new heights.

What particularly moved me was that throughout this development, environmental protection and cultural heritage were never forgotten. For instance, the Ice and Snow World uses entirely clean energy, and snow-making equipment employs new energy-efficient technologies. This shows me the potential for sustainable development in ice and snow tourism.

If you haven't experienced ice and snow tourism yet, I strongly recommend you set out this winter. Whether you're going to Harbin to experience an ice and snow fairy tale, to Xinjiang for extreme sports, or learning to ski at an indoor venue close to home, you'll gain unique experiences and beautiful memories.

Remember, an exciting winter journey isn't just about seeing ice and playing in snow; it's a deep dialogue with nature, cities, and culture. I look forward to bringing you more interesting travel stories from the next destination. I believe every journey is a growth experience, and every experience is a precious memory. Let's write our own exciting stories in this world of ice and snow.