Ice and snow are driving tourism growth in Jilin as the province leverages its winter resources to boost local economy, Xu Lin and Liu Mingtai report.

A horse-drawn sleigh carrying tourists glides through the pristine, snow-covered woods and the expansive snowfields, its hooves leaving a trail of prints across the untouched white.

"I'm overwhelmed by this magical snow world. You can rarely see such magnificent winter landscapes, and this kind of beauty is reserved for the extreme cold," says tourist Lin Yi from Beijing, who traveled with her family to the Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture in Jilin province during the Spring Festival holiday.

In Erdaobaihe town at the foot of Changbai Mountain, she enjoyed winter sports like driving an off-road vehicle in the snow, and soaking in the hotel's outdoor hot spring while admiring the snow scenery.

ALSO READ: On ice and snow, passion grows for winter fun

Also, it's the first time her 4-year-old son has seen a kang (heated brick bed) and he finds it fascinating. The traditional firewood-heated kang is now electrically heated.

Such experiences have drawn waves of tourists to Jilin, fueling robust growth in the province's tourism industry.

In 2025, Jilin province hosted 467 million domestic tourist visits, marking a 20.7 percent year-on-year growth. During the Spring Festival holiday, the province received 34.63 million tourist visits, with total tourism expenditure of 42.1 billion yuan ($6.11 billion), an increase of 26.9 percent and 24.9 percent year-on-year respectively.

In recent years, Jilin province has taken the development of its ice and snow industry seriously, treating the sector as a key engine for high-quality economic development.

"We're promoting the development of the ice and snow economy in terms of industrial policies, product supply, cultural empowerment and service support," says Sun Guangzhi, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress and head of the Jilin Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. She is attending the fourth session of the 14th NPC held from March 5 to 12 in Beijing.

The province has issued plans and implementation guidelines for the high-quality development of the ice and snow industry. An ice and snow economic fund for Jilin province with a total scale of 500 million yuan was established in 2025. Running from late December 2025 through the end of March 2026, the province issues ice and snow consumer vouchers totaling 1 million yuan.

In December 2025, the province launched a five-day ice and snow holiday for primary and junior secondary schools, offering them free entry to designated ice and snow venues.

"Together, these efforts have greatly increased consumption related to admission tickets, accommodation, catering, leisure and entertainment," Sun says.

According to her, the province has a unique portfolio of winter products that includes skiing, excursions, hot springs, and winter fishing, with five national ski resorts offering diverse experiences.

"We have integrated winter fishing, Spring Festival traditions and intangible cultural heritage into ice and snow activities and products. Each year, we host colorful events such as the ceremony to mark the beginning of the new snow season, Jilin International Ice and Snow Tourism Industry Exposition and the Chagan Lake Ice and Snow Fishing and Hunting Cultural Tourism Festival, creating a rich winter cultural atmosphere," she says.

In 2025, the Shenyang-Baihe section of the high-speed railway opened, significantly shortening the travel time from Beijing to the area around Changbai Mountain.

The Jilin province section of the G331 National Highway also opened to traffic last year, linking lakes, mountains and scenic spots and bringing vitality to the border regions.

Sun adds that the province launched 388 customized passenger routes to ensure convenient travel for tourists during the snow season, set up temporary medical stations at ski resorts, and established an advanced compensation mechanism for tourism disputes in some areas.

Among the tourism highlights of the G331 National Highway is Changbai Korean autonomous county, Baishan city, with the zigzagging Yalu River, stunning winter views, and the culture of the Korean ethnic group.

"Accessibility has brought great opportunities for developing our county's tourism," says Han Yongzhe, a deputy to the 14th NPC and the county head.

To attract more tourists this year, the county plans to hold promotional events in major cities along the high-speed rail line and key tourist markets, organize colorful cultural and tourism activities and roll out preferential policies.

"Leveraging our rich ecological and cultural resources, we will strengthen cooperation with the Changbai Mountain area and surrounding counties to develop integrated travel routes and distinctive tourism products," he says.

ALSO READ: Traditional competitions celebrate ethnic culture

He says the county is focusing on developing good-quality minsu (Chinese-style bed-and-breakfast establishments), promoting local customs, improving infrastructure such as signage, rest areas for tourists, medical stations and parking lots, and upgrading tourist service centers.

Jilin province is now sparing no effort to prepare for the 33rd FISU Winter World University Games, which will be held in January 2027 in Changchun, the main venue, and Jilin city, the secondary venue.

Deputy Sun adds that Jilin province is taking this opportunity to comprehensively upgrade its ice and snow industry, turning "cold resources" into a "hot economy", while establishing itself as a world-class ice and snow destination.

"In the lead-up to the games, Jilin province is striving to enhance tourism convenience for overseas visitors," she says.

The province will help and encourage the major cultural and tourist sites to improve their services such as multilingual signage, tour commentaries, and payments, thereby improving overseas visitors' satisfaction and overall experiences.

Contact the writers at xulin@chinadaily.com.cn