STORY: Ice and snow create bustling tourist scenes, business opportunities in NE China
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Jan. 5, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:57
LOCATION: HARBIN/CHANGCHUN, China
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Harbin Ice-Snow World
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): BIAN YUAN, Tourist
3. various of the theme park and its performance
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHENG SAN, Tourist
5. various of the Harbin Ice-Snow World
6. various of tourists
7. various of the winter fishing-themed festival at Chagan Lake
8. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WEI LAI, Staff member of Chagan Lake Tourism and Economic Development Zone
9. various of the winter fishing
10. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): ZHANG JIANMEI, Tourist
11. various of winter tourism in northeast China

STORYLINE:

Appealing ice-and-snow landscapes and sculptures have made Heilongjiang, the northernmost province of China, a popular destination for winter tourism.

The Harbin Ice-Snow World, a well-known theme park in Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang, has been crowded with visitors. 

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): BIAN YUAN, Tourist
"The ice sculptures here are amazing. I took a lot of beautiful pictures. The scenery seen from the Ferris wheel was also very beautiful. I also watched the 'Harbin Ice Show.' The dancing and singing performances were great. It has been a fun day for me."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHENG SAN, Tourist
"It's my first time to visit the Harbin Ice-Snow World. The scenery is fantastic. I enjoy my stay here very much and look forward to coming back again."
 
Harbin welcomed nearly 3.05 million visitors, raking in 5.91 billion yuan (about 832.39 million U.S. dollars) of tourism revenue during the three-day New Year holiday, which ended Monday.
 
Several other cities in northeast China have also established their local brands, making use of their strengths and traditions.
 
In neighboring Jilin Province, the winter fishing-themed festival at Chagan Lake in Songyuan City has attracted many visitors. 

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WEI LAI, Staff member of Chagan Lake Tourism and Economic Development Zone
"This year, Chagan Lake offers a customized dragnet fishing experience. Tourists can not only appreciate the beautiful scenery of the lake, but also participate in the fishing and hunting activities."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): ZHANG JIANMEI, Tourist
"When I watched the fish jumping from the water, I was incredibly excited and felt the joy of a bumper harvest."

Northeast China, which consists of the provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, was China's major industrial heartland.

The region is now looking to make a breakthrough in promoting the transformation of the economic structure with its rich ice and snow resources.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Harbin/Changchun, China.
(XHTV)