Tourism Hike in Northeast China Despite ColdMillions of tourists flocked to northeast China's Heilongjiang Province during the past month in spite of unusually cold weather.The tourist movement began last December and the number surged during the week-long Spring Festival holidays, when 1.35 million people visited the province, up 30 percent from the same period ofthe previous year, according to statistics from the provincial government. Tourism departments also reported income of over 700 million yuan (85 million U.S. dollars) from tourism during the Spring Festival holidays. The visitors included 8,000 overseas tourists, who spent approximately 2.75 million U.S. dollars in the province. Ice sculptures, ice lanterns, skiing, and skating are still the main reasons visitors come to the province. An additional 40 ski fields were opened this winter due to heavy snow falls. The surge in the tourism industry also created momentum for the local economy. Tens of thousands of local residents have benefited from selling souvenirs, building various facilities, and providing services for the travelers. |
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