Xing'an League in Inner Mongolia provides tourists with unique winter experiences

Tourists visit Nostalgia Hall in Liushuchuan village, Horqin Right Wing Front Banner of Xing'an League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Yang Junfeng)

This winter, Xing'an League in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is presenting visitors with a range of distinctive winter experiences.

In Liushuchuan village, Horqin Right Wing Front Banner of Xing'an League, snow covers golden stacks of corn outside, while inside "Nostalgia Hall," warmth fills the air.

Tourists pause to admire old household items, calligraphy works, paintings and root carvings. This century-old village is leveraging culture to preserve heritage and bring prosperity to its residents.

Wu Zhanjun, Party branch secretary of Liushuchuan village, said the village boasts rich historical and cultural resources. It is home to Xing'an League's only village-level calligraphy association. "From children as young as 8 or 9 to seniors aged 74, nearly everyone in the village can pick up a brush to write or paint," Wu said.

Since 2019, the village's Party branch has established calligraphy and poetry associations and built Nostalgia Hall, which houses more than 10,000 old items crowdfunded and donated by villagers, each carrying memories of bygone eras. Rather than merely displaying these items, the hall offers hands-on experiences where visitors can learn to make traditional foods, push stone mills and draw water from wells, immersing themselves in the rural life of the past.

Since opening in September 2025, Nostalgia Hall has received 120,000 tourist visits, helping nearly 100 village households increase their income by nearly 200,000 yuan ($28,400), while boosting collective village income by 144,000 yuan.

At 8:30 a.m., Sun Jiaxu, a member of China's national Winter Olympics team, completed a training session on the slopes of Arxan in Xing'an League.

A snow village in Arxan, Xing'an League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Photo/Wang Zheng)

Since 2003, China's national freestyle skiing aerials team has used Arxan as its winter training ground. Every November, athletes arrive for more than a month of intensive training. Over the past two decades, Olympic champions Han Xiaopeng, Xu Mengtao and Qi Guangpu, along with numerous world champions, have trained here.

"For skiing enthusiasts, Arxan is a paradise," said Sun Jiaxu, who has deep affection for Arxan.

Xu Mengtao added excitement to this year's training atmosphere, voicing her support for the 2025-26 ice and snow season and announcing that Arxan will host three major competitions this winter.

Since the launch of the 2025-26 Arxan Ice and Snow Season and the 20th Ice and Snow Festival, the city has attracted large numbers of domestic and international visitors with its rich winter offerings. Rafting on the "Unfrozen River" has proved a particular draw.

"With winds at minus 30 degrees Celsius pelting your face with snow particles while your raft drifts through the steaming mist of the Unfrozen River below — the sensation is incredible!" said Chen, a tourist from south China's Guangdong Province, after rafting on Nov. 15. He rubbed his reddened cheeks, eyes sparkling with excitement.

A tourist rides a snowmobile at a forest ranch in Arxan, Xing'an League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Yang Junfeng)

"During the rafting journey, visitors can admire rime ice while experiencing the dramatic contrast between the extreme cold and the warm river water — every second brings new sensations," said the head of the Unfrozen River Scenic Area, noting that upgraded equipment this year has made the experience more immersive and safer.

As evening fell in a snow-covered village, lanterns glowed and bonfires blazed, creating a lively, festive atmosphere. Amid cheerful yangge, a traditional folk dance, a tourist from Russia danced around the bonfire with others.

"During the day, we ride snowmobiles and watch equestrian performances; at night, we soak in hot springs and gather around bonfires. Arxan's winter meets all my expectations for winter tourism," the tourist said.