WITH its enchanting allure and captivating attractions, Harbin, the picturesque ice city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, has become a social media sensation, leaving netizens mesmerized by its myriad splendors. Among these fascinating sights are a group of 11 charismatic children from Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in South China, who fearlessly embarked on an educational trip to Harbin, instantly winning the hearts of online communities. Clad in vibrant orange attire, they are fondly referred to as the “l(fā)ittle tangerines,” with the oldest just 6 and a half years old, while the youngest only 3 years and 5 months old. The nickname symbolizes both their cute orange outfits and Guangxi’s prominent citrus production. Each day, their enchanting presence is trending on various social media platforms. Wherever they venture, they are warmly embraced and showered with affection by the locals. In Harbin, they savored the local delicacies, and watched a firework display amid the snowy landscape. Liang, the lead teacher of their tour, confirmed their arrival in Mohe, a pivotal destination in their educational itinerary. Upon their arrival, the tour group was warmly welcomed by a local travel agency in coordination with the city’s tourism bureau. To express gratitude for the hospitality received in Heilongjiang, a free batch of tangerines from Lipu of Guangxi, organized by local industry associations, was sent to Heilongjiang on Thursday. Data show that Harbin welcomed more than 3 million visitors, raking in 5.9 billion yuan (US$830 million) of tourism revenue during the three-day New Year holiday. Growth in the city’s accommodation and catering sectors during the holiday period more than doubled from 2019, local newspaper Harbin Daily reported. The city’s tourism department attributed the growth to Harbin’s increasing popularity on social media platforms. Harbin’s authorities have rolled out activities to attract tourists including live performances and concerts, theme parks and fireworks displays, as well as improving dining, accommodation and shopping services. The International Ice and Snow Festival kicked off Friday in Harbin, adding steam to the country’s burgeoning ice-and-snow economy. Harbin Ice-Snow World, built on the northern bank of the Songhua River that flows through the city, is a landmark ice-and-snow theme park listed by China’s leading online travel agency Trip.com as the country’s top snow and ice tourism site for New Year holiday travel. This year’s scale of ice-and-snow sculptures in the park is the largest since it first opened in 1999, said Sun Zemin, marketing director of Harbin Ice and Snow World Park Co. Ltd., the theme park’s operator. Meanwhile, the municipal government of Harbin opted to make the opening day of the International Ice and Snow Festival on Friday a public holiday to boost the festival atmosphere. Many warm-hearted local residents also volunteered to help visitors fend off the freezing cold. Harbin restaurant owner Yin Zhi serves 600 cups of free hot ginger and jujube water daily to tourists as they explore Harbin’s major boulevard. “We would like to show visitors everything good here, such as the good food, good drinks and good scenery,” he said. “This is the unique way of a northeastern resident welcoming his guests.” A great number of other ice-and-snow activities are being held in the northeastern Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning this winter to deliver immersive experiences of folk cultural events and the ice and snow landscape. (China Daily, Xinhua) | 