STORY: Escape summer heat! China's indoor ice and snow industry attracts tourists
SHOOTING TIME: June 25, 2024
DATELINE: July 8, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:35
LOCATION: HARBIN, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the indoor ice and snow theme park
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese):  SUN ZEMIN, Deputy director of the sales and marketing department of Harbin Ice and Snow World Park Co., Ltd.
3. various of Harbin Ice-Snow World
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): YU GUOHUI, Tourist
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): Russian tourists
6. various of ice and snow sport
7. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): FU WEI, Staff member of Harbin Hot Snow Miracle Indoor Ski Resort

STORYLINE:

Tourists to China's "Ice City" now have a new attraction to explore.

Harbin, the capital city of China's northernmost Heilongjiang Province, got its own indoor ice and snow theme park on Saturday.

Covering an area of 23,800 square meters, the park is the largest of its kind and has clinched the Guinness World Record for it.

The park manager said the facility features nine themed areas with brightly-lit, lifelike ice sculptures. The theme park maintains a constant temperature throughout the year.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese):  SUN ZEMIN, Deputy director of the sales and marketing department of Harbin Ice and Snow World Park Co., Ltd.
"The total ice usage of the indoor ice park reached 20,000 cubic meters of natural ice. We also use a large amount of artificial, colored ice. The temperature of our indoor ice and snow hall stays between -8 and -12 degrees Celsius all year round."
   
The park will complement Harbin Ice-Snow World, a landmark outdoor ice and snow theme park covering 810,000 square meters. This new indoor facility transforms Harbin into an all-season resort destination.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): YU GUOHUI, Tourist
"I am from Guangdong. I had great time here. I didn't expect that when it is hot, I could see the ice and snow world. It's worth visiting."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): Russian tourists
"Harbin is great!"

The craze for ice and snow sports is also heating up. At the Hot Snow Miracle Indoor Ski Resort in Harbin New District, tourists are speeding down the snow track on their snowboards.

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): FU WEI, Staff member of Harbin Hot Snow Miracle Indoor Ski Resort
"The people participating in skiing tend to be younger. And the oldest is over 60 years old. Skiing is a sport that covers all customer groups."

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