Tourists visit the 37th Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Expo in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on December 23, 2024. The 37th Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Expo began its trial operation in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, on December 30, 2024 (XINHUA) 

As cold weather affects much of China, people find joy in lively winter activities.

Frosty fun 

Despite temperatures plummeting to nearly minus 20 degrees Celsius on the last day of 2024 in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, a local ski resort buzzed with skiers on the slopes and families relishing snowy activities.

"My day is absolutely packed," said Zhou Jinlong, a coach at Yabuli Ski Resort, noting that there will be a surge in ski trainees in the coming days, ranging in age from five to 70.

Zhou, who is in his thirties, normally conducts two training sessions every workday. "I love this job because it not only pays well but also helps bring people closer to ice and snow," he said.

The government unveiled a series of initiatives to boost winter consumption, which has boosted ice-and-snow tourism across China, with over 385 million winter leisure visits recorded last year, a 38 percent year-on-year increase.

In Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, visitors to an indoor winter amusement park enjoyed fun activities during the New Year holiday, including interactions with penguins and arctic foxes, riding on ice bumper cars and trying ice slides.

Further south in Guangdong Province, one of China's warmest regions, indoor skiing is rapidly gaining popularity among younger generations, with over 20 indoor winter sports centers thriving.

High hope 

The robust consumer enthusiasm during the New Year holiday signals strong purchasing power, said Hong Yong, an associate researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

He said that retailers typically fine-tune their strategies based on New Year sales to better prepare for the Spring Festival market. "With promising consumption trends observed during the New Year holiday, anticipation is high for the Spring Festival."