6 | Wednesday, December 16, 2020 CHINA DAILY | 7

Natural beauty, visual spectacles and exciting events lined up for visitors to enjoy

Province is encouraging held in Jilin province to offer a broad range of options widened some of its trails, built an additional three Jing Junhai, the newly appointed secretary of the By YUAN SHENGGAO Winter fishing ancient times, boasts hundreds of hot for tourists,” said Jia Xin, director of marketing at forest trails and two cables, and improved hotel ser­ Jilin Provincial Committee of the Communist Party The preparation for the 2020 Chagan Lake springs with an average temperature above tourists to spend more with the Jilin Provincial Department of Culture and vice capacity to create a better experience for skiers of China and former governor of Jilin province, For those keen to explore natural won­ Winter Fishing Festival is ongoing. The start­ 60 C. The hot springs are said to be good for discounts, special offers Tourism. “Those activities will boost ice and snow and snowboarders. According to the resort, hotel said in the 2020 provincial government work ders, cultural heritage sites and the passion ing time is yet to be decided because it health because of their stable flow, constant economy development in the region.” room occupancy for weekends from Nov 14 to Jan 1, report that both the ice and snow economy and of local people for ice and snow in Jilin prov­ depends upon the thickness of the ice on the temperature and mineral­rich water. The Jilin government will provide some 10 million 2021 have reached 100 percent of capacity. The week­ summer getaway economy are growing in Jilin ince, now is the time to go there. lake. Tourists experience an exciting Every winter, trees around the hot springs in By YUAN SHENGGAO yuan ($1.53 million) in offers and discounts to day occupancy rate is around 60 percent. province. moment when a net with hundreds of metric the region will be coated with rime because the encourage more spending during this year’s snow Wu Tao, a representative from Lake Songhua Lake Songhua Resort, Beidahu Ski Resort and Rime observation tons of fish is pulled out of the ice­covered hot water vapor falling on tree branches is inter tourism service providers in season. The discounts will apply to certain hot Resort, said the resort purchased new facilities to Changbaishan International Resort ranked as Rime is a special type of frost resembling lake during the festival. quickly turned into ice. It is a rarely seen natural Northeast China’s Jilin province are springs, ski courses and some rural tourism busi­ upgrade ski courses and built more ski slopes to China’s top three ski resorts for total number of granular tufts of ice that occurs in specific cli­ Chagan Lake is one of the top 10 largest fresh­ beauty in most parts of China. hoping to wow visitors with more nesses, officials said. serve skiers of different ages. visits in 2019. Jilin’s efforts in developing its ski matic conditions. After several heavy snowfalls water lakes in China. It covers more than 500 Erhe village in the city of Shulan will continue fun activities and events during the “We will release 28 further measures, discounts According to figures from online travel service resorts and related economy have received praise in November, the temperature in Jilin city of Jil­ square kilometers. The name, Chagan, which is to wow visitors with snow­capped farm houses, 2020 snow season, which officially and ticket price reductions soon,” Jia said. provider Ctrip, the number of bookings for ski trips from the central government. in province fell to ­14 C. The first rime appeared Mongolian in origin, means sacred, white or red lanterns and items made out of corns. The Wbegan on Nov 14. This year, the Jilin government has joined hands to Jilin province has increased 360 percent year­ Looking ahead, Jilin will continue to promote on Nov 23. pure. The lake is sometimes referred to as Holy village often has heavy snowfall of up to 1.5 Major winter tourism sites across Jilin province with local tourism service providers to launch an on­year from a year ago. high­quality development as part of efforts to revi­ All the trees in the Ashihada area and Hong­ Water Lake. meters which can last for five months. kicked off the new snow season with a slew of celebra­ electronic map that offers tourists more travel sug­ “We forecast this snow season will be a boom talize its regional economy. It will add more ski shi Lake area were coated in a crystal­clear fro­ Winter fishing on Chagan Lake is an ancient Apart from those traditional programs, Jilin tory activities involving nearly 10,000 people, includ­ gestions. Users can search for scenic spots, pur­ period and will demonstrate Jilin’s ice and snow facilities to serve increasing demand for ice and zen coating, according to local media. ritual that dates back to the Liao Dynasty (916­ province is offering more new and exciting ing representatives from top Chinese ski clubs, major chase tickets and share their travel experiences on industry development,” Jia said. snow products. The province has set a goal of hav­ Jilin city’s rime is considered on par with the 1125) and Jin Dynasty (1115­1234). It was listed as programs to the public. ice and winter sports companies and tourists. the map, officials said. According to Jia, enterprises in Jilin have devel­ ing 60 ski courses by 2023. sea of clouds from Huangshan Mountain in a national­level intangible cultural heritage A 100­day winter tourism festival, consist­ Jilin’s Lake Songhua Resort, Beidahu Ski Resort According to local media, single day­trip prod­ oped new products to unlock new market potential. In 2020, Jilin boasts 35 ski courses capable of Anhui, the sunrise at Taishan Mountain in item in 2008. ing of 100 ice and snow activities, is ongoing in and Changbai Mountain Scenic Spot, Changchun Ice ucts are becoming popular in Jilin province “We strive to provide a more convenient, more serving more than 10 million tourists. The number Shandong, and the tidal bore of the Qiantang Every year, the largest fish in the first catch Jilin’s capital city, Changchun. and Snow World, Chagang Lake Scenic Spot and because they are more convenient. Tourism opera­ secure and more affordable experience for tour­ of ski courses and trails in Jilin accounts for 14.8 River in Zhejiang. will be auctioned because it symbolizes luck The Changchun Ice and Snow New World Changbaishan International Resort all took part in tors provide services that ferry travelers from the ists,” Jia said. percent of the total in all of China. Compared with rime in other regions of and happiness for the whole year in local cul­ Park in the city, began operation on Saturday. the ceremony. city to a ski course in the morning and back to the Jilin province has worked to develop its ice and Yang Andi, director of the Jilin Provincial China, rime in Jilin city is unique because it is ture. In 2019, the first catch, a 13­kilogram fish, It features a 496­meter­long slide made from With 2020 being a very challenging year on a city in the evening. It is more convenient and snow industry. The region has long been a formida­ Department of Culture and Tourism, said that Jilin thicker and crystal clear. A toothpick­thin tree set an auction record of 2.96 million yuan ice, which will amaze many visitors. number of unprecedented fronts, the full opening of cheaper for beginners to experience the charm of ble force for winter sports in China, rich in loca­ must continue to strengthen development in areas branch can be covered in frost as thick as an ($452,599) at the opening ceremony of the fish­ Jingyue Snow World in Changchun will the snow season in Jilin allows the year to end on a skiing, according to local officials. Skilled skiers tions and facilities. such as ice and snow culture, tourism, sports, adult’s thumb, according to residents. ing festival. have ice and snow sculptures with different note of optimism, according to the local government. pay more attention to quality and experience, and The province gets some of the country’s best trade, transportation and brand building during The best time to observe rime in Jilin city is themes. In 2019, a 107­meter­long snow sculp­ At the opening ceremony, the Jilin Provincial therefore prefer hotels with channels directly con­ powdery snow, the type favored by skiers and snow­ the 14th Five­Year Plan period (2021­25) to pro­ between November and February, and the best Hot springs ture named Peace and Prosperity was con­ Department of Culture and Tourism unveiled 32 new necting to ski courses. boarders, at its leading resorts and courses for com­ mote prosperity and the development of the entire observation hours are 6­10 am. Regions along For those who want to feel warm this win­ structed at Jingyue Snow World, which earned ice and snow tourism routes for different types of tours In 2020, a large number of local ski courses have petitive skiing. regional economy. the Songhua River, Rime Island and Hantun ter in Jilin province, Changbai Mountains widespread praise from visitors. and self­driving. upgraded their facilities. The annual skiing season lasts for about 150 days area are the best sightseeing places for this area could be the best place to visit. The “Nearly 300 snow and ice­centered activities will be Beidahu Ski Resort has restructured its hilly areas, in Jilin province. Han Junhong contributed to this story. rare and spectacular phenomenon. region, formed after a volcanic eruption in Han Junhong contributed to this story.

From left: Hongshi Lake is one of the best sites to observe rime in Jilin city. Tourists enjoy an outdoor ginseng hotpot feast in November in Jilin province. Winter fishing on Chagan Lake was listed as a national­level intangible cultural heritage item in 2008. Birds fly over the Songhua River in Jilin city after heavy snowfalls. Jilin province is one of the most popular destinations to enjoy hot spring spas in winter in China. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Tourists enjoy a fireworks display at Changchun Ice and Snow New World on Saturday in Changchun, capital of Northeast China’s Jilin province. LI WENDING / FOR CHINA DAILY

These pages are sponsored by the Information Office of the Jilin Provincial Government.