Ice and snow tour has developed in China in recent years. The activities have shown unique charms among the diversified tourist products of the country.

Since China is a country with vast territory in the Northern Hemisphere, some of its provinces and autonomous region, including Heilongjiang, Jilin and Xinjiang, are located in areas of high latitude. The Greater and Lesser Hinggan Mountain, Changbai Mountains and Tionshan Mountains extend for hundreds of km with undulating ridges and peaks, and boundless forests with soughing of the wind. When winter comes, the mountains and forests are covered with thick ice and snow, and the world is totally silver.

The months' long season of ice and snow gives people chances to stage various winter activities. The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival and the Jilin Rime Festival have become winter festival rich in poetic flavour for tourists. The Harbin Ice Lantern Show that has been going on for 15 years and the international competition for ice and snow sculptures have attracted countiess artists and tourists at home and abroad. The crystal rime on the Songhua River at Jilin brings visitors into a fairy land.

The unique geographical position and natural environme provide ideal conditions for ice and snow sports. Along with the thriving development of tourism, a series of tourist products and itinerarles have been developed with typical regional features and folk customs in north China, with complete facilities. The Yabuli Skiing Holiday Area that has hosted three Winter Asian Games, Mt. Changbai and Beidahu Skikly ground and other skiing grounds at such scenic areas as Jingyuetan, Songhuahu, Yuquan and Qipanshan all have excellent facilities and convenint transportation.

Despite the cold weather and long winter, the locals are quite bold and hospitable. Tourists can tolke a ride on horse-drive sledges across the snow land to enjoy the mare's milk in the yurts of the Kazak people, or visit the cottages of the Oroqen and Daur hunters in the forests. Like the mare's milk offered by Kazak herdsmen, modern people can never expect such an experience in bustling cities.

And addition to traditional ice and snow tourist areas in northeast China, new skiing holiday areas have been developed in Yunnan, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Xinjiang, Hubei and Chongqing. These destinations have a strong appeal to Chinese and foreign tourists with their pure scenery of ice and snow.

• Go Skiing

• Songhua River Ice and Snow World

• Folk Customs in North China

• Tourist Skiing Grounds