Innovation and technology fuels winter economy in Harbin

BEIJING,Feb. 25,2025 -- A news report from China Daily:

Harbin,capital of Heilongjiang province in Northeast China,has become a popular destination for ice and snow tourism in recent years.

As the city hosted the 9th Asian Winter Games from Feb 7-14,there was a large influx of visitors who enjoyed sightseeing and shopping in Harbin,injecting new vitality into cultural and tourism consumption.

The Pingshan Shenlu Ski Resort,located more than 70 kilometers away from downtown Harbin,attracts enthusiasts who step onto snowboards and speed down the snow-covered trails. The resort manager,Wang Xiaojing,has noted significant changes over the past two years: an increase in visitor numbers and expansions in skiing equipment,attire and instructors.

To attract and cater to young skiers from all over the country,the resort has constructed children's ski trails and channels,preventing adult beginners from posing a risk to them.

In a factory building within the Harbin Xinyu Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park,an intelligent skiing machine weighing more than 6 metric tons is developed and manufactured.

Tian Mingzhu,president of the Harbin Sports Industry Association,said that this machine can help beginners reach an intermediate skiing level in about four sessions.

People ranging from 3-4 years old to 60-70 years old can also safely learn to ski on the machine.

Harbin also scaled new heights culturally and creatively. For instance,the sales volume of augmented reality refrigerator magnets featuring Harbin design elements has exceeded 20 million yuan ($2.76 million).

"Customers can scan the refrigerator magnet with their phones and see exquisite images of Harbin's four seasons," said Wang Jing,general manager of Longyue Cultural and Creative Technology,the company that developed the product.

Despite cold weather,many young people queued up in front of a shop named "Zhongqi Shizu" on Central Avenue to purchase traditional Chinese medicine ice cream.

"We combined different traditional Chinese medicines,related food ingredients and probiotic pretreatments,fully releasing the nutritional value of raw materials,which can make the ice cream healthier,and more distinctive in flavor," said Shen Xiaodi,director of its brand operation.

"Riding on the popularity of the ice and snow season,we will upgrade our products,expand consumer scenarios,and present a richer range of traditional Chinese medicine products to customers," Shenadded.

The 9th Asian Winter Games holds its closing ceremony in Harbin on Feb 14. FENG YONGBIN / CHINA DAILY