Behind the popularity of Harbin, who can become the “city’s business card”?

Northeast China tourism has become popular this winter, attracting a large number of tourists to experience ice and snow and bathing culture. The article emphasizes the appeal and future development potential of Northeast China's characteristic tourism, and provides a reference for tourists who want to travel to Northeast China.

"It's not that I can't afford Paris, but Harbin is more cost-effective." This winter, the topic of traveling to Northeast China is very popular on social platforms. The content behind these posts is usually well-dressed southern girls sharing their experiences of traveling in Northeast China.

In the past, people's impression of Northeast China was that food was cheap, food was plentiful, and people were good at telling jokes. 20 years ago, Harbin was famous for its ice sculptures and ice lanterns. Every winter, Harbin would collect ice to make ice sculptures. Unexpectedly, this traditional project that has lasted for decades has suddenly become popular. Skiing, watching ice sculptures, taking a bath to experience bathing culture, and feeling ethnic customs have become a new trend among young people recently.

Going to the northernmost tip of China, experiencing temperatures of minus thirty or forty degrees Celsius, walking through knee-deep snow, and seeing colorful ice lanterns, many tourists have experienced the only ice and snow tour in their lives and said that the trip was worth it.

Tourism practitioners have been extremely busy recently. Online taxi drivers also serve as photographers, tour guides, and food recommendation officers. B&Bs and hotels are fully booked every day, and prices have almost doubled. Travel agency consultants respond to customers' inquiries from morning to night, and tour groups send out three or four small customized tours of six or seven days a month. In this peak tourist season, many bosses earn more than 100,000 yuan a month, and some individual practitioners can also earn more than 10,000 yuan a month.

Harbin has almost become another Zibo. Next, can the Northeast take on this "enormous wealth"?

1. This winter, young people flock to Northeast China

Since the beginning of winter in 2023, Northeast tourism with Harbin and Shenyang as destinations has become popular.

Jiaojiao and her southern friend went to Northeast China in mid-December. They went to Harbin, Mohe, Xuexiang and other places. The 9-day trip was full, Jiaojiao's fingers were frostbitten, she was choked by the cold wind and kept coughing, and she was in pain all over her body from falling while skiing.

Although she was tired, she felt that the trip was worth it: "I felt the extreme cold of -41 degrees Celsius, rolled in knee-deep snow, saw beautiful snow scenery, played all kinds of snow sports, had some food or sitting interactions with deer, horses, dogs and rabbits, caught up with the opening of the Ice and Snow World, listened to a concert, and danced on the ice. This trip was very successful."

What impressed her most about her trip to Northeast China was the cold weather, beautiful scenery and large crowds of people.

Jiaojiao bought thick thermal underwear, quick-drying clothes, down pants, heating insoles, shoe covers, and crampons in advance. The double-layer woolen hat she prepared didn't work, so she bought the thickest hat and scarf in Harbin. "When we went to Mohe, the temperature reached minus 42 degrees Celsius. The cars there had to be parked in the warm storage, otherwise they wouldn't start."

Although the weather was cold, Jiaojiao was very enthusiastic because all the experiences along the way were new and novel.

She recalled that the most beautiful scenery was the 15-kilometer hiking route from the Snow Valley to the Snow Village. Jiaojiao was not physically fit, so she chose to take a car. She took a horse-drawn sleigh and a snowmobile to the top of the mountain, and took a jeep down the mountain. The three modes of transportation cost more than 600 yuan per person. "You can see very beautiful tree hangings along the way, and the scenery on the top of the mountain is also very beautiful."

The snow in Snow Town is also very beautiful. Jiaojiao heard from the locals that the snowflakes here are particularly large and sticky. They attach to the mushroom-shaped roofs to form beautiful mushroom houses, which are very dreamy with the lights at night.

Northeast scenery/Photo provided by the interviewee

As the number of tourists traveling to Northeast China increases, Jiaojiao finds that prices are rising and the experience is declining in some places.

According to her, accommodation in Xuexiang is relatively expensive. Even though they booked a month in advance, the price was still 1,000 yuan per night. When they checked in, the B&B was full and the price rose to 2,000 yuan per night. However, she added that this is the price of accommodation in the scenic area. There are also B&Bs in the Snow Valley outside the scenic area for 200 yuan per night.

Also because there were so many people, we had to queue up for two hours to ride the Ferris wheel at the Ice and Snow World. As for the famous big slide, the ice show in the theater, and the famous iron pot stew from Northeast China, Jiaojiao and her friends gave up because the queues were too long.

The New Year's Day holiday brought Harbin tourism to another climax.

"We can clearly feel that there are more tourists during this year's holiday," said Didi driver Wang. "During the first two days and the last two days of the holiday, we mainly go to the airport and the train station. In the middle of the holiday, we mainly go to the area around Central Avenue, and we have orders all day long."

The Harbin Internet Information Office's official account "Harbin Release" mentioned that according to data provided by Didi Chuxing, the demand for online ride-hailing in Harbin during the New Year's Day period increased by more than 20% compared to the week before the holiday. Among them, Central Avenue was the hottest, with demand for cars increasing by more than 100%.

In addition to Harbin, Shenyang is also a popular tourist destination in Northeast China.

"The best bathing places in China are in the Northeast, and the best bathing places in the Northeast are in Shenyang." Zhang Yu and her friends traveled to Shenyang specifically to experience the bathing culture of the Northeast. Not long ago, they set out from Beijing on a weekend and chose a bathing center. The ticket and bathing cost 158 ​​yuan, and the buffet cost 269 yuan. They stayed there for 24 hours, saving even the money for the hotel overnight.

According to her, you can take a bath, scrub your body, have a steam sauna, get a massage, chat, and eat buffets. The bath center is very clean, the service is very good, and it has all kinds of supporting facilities, including toiletries sets, face creams and toners, and sauna suits. You can basically go there empty-handed, find a tatami or sauna room to play games and chat with friends. The experience is very good.

Zhang Yu also visited the morning market, the Shenyang Imperial Palace, and had a barbecue. Overall, this trip took only two days on the weekend, and the average cost per person was more than 1,000 yuan, which was very cost-effective. The New Year's Day travel data report released by Didi Chuxing also mentioned that the demand for taxis to hot springs and bathing centers during the New Year's Day increased by 2,000% year-on-year, among which the demand for taxis to "take a bath" in Harbin, Dalian, Beijing and other cities increased by dozens of times.

Northeastern characteristic tourism represented by ice, snow and bathing is attracting groups of tourists.

2. With a huge demand for orders every day, some practitioners can earn more than 100,000 yuan a month

Tourism in Northeast China has become popular, and practitioners such as Internet platforms, travel agencies, car rental companies, and hotels have all seen a surge in business.

There is solid evidence at the data level. When traveling to other places, online car-hailing is the choice of many people. Recently, Didi Chuxing released national online car-hailing data during the New Year's Day, showing that Harbin has ushered in a travel peak since mid-December 2023. During the New Year's Day, Harbin's taxi demand increased by more than 280% compared with the same period last year. Among them, Central Avenue, Ice and Snow World, and Sun Island Scenic Area increased by 470%, 475%, and 720% respectively.

Self-driving is another major demand during the holidays. Among Didi Chuxing's car rental orders, Harbin's orders increased by more than 100%. Wukong Car Rental data shows that in December 2023, Northeast China's car rental business increased by 23% month-on-month and 141% year-on-year.

In this wave of enthusiasm, practitioners are all excited.

Online taxi drivers are one of the groups who have the most contact with tourists and best represent the city's image. In recent times, drivers have been doing their best to become Harbin's "city business card."

Northeastern people are known for being friendly, hospitable and good at telling jokes. These characteristics are also true for Didi online car-hailing driver Wei Xiangqian. In addition to providing pick-up and drop-off services, he also enthusiastically explains local culture to tourists and recommends places to eat and play. He labels himself as "caring big brother", "road know-it-all", "food recommendation officer", "extra-budget tour guide", etc.

He was deeply touched by the family of four from Guangdong whom he met at the airport in early December. The grandmother of the family had worked in the countryside in Northeast China when she was young and had not been back for decades. This time, she brought her son and his family to revisit the old place, and her eyes were red with excitement. Along the way, she asked Wei Xiangqian about the old buildings outside the window, such as the Central Street and the Flood Control Memorial Tower, recalling the bits and pieces that she had vague memories but tried hard to remember. "I accompanied the old woman all the way to talk about the rapid changes in Harbin over the years, and helped her piece together the fragments of her memories."

The old man's family also asked him where to eat and have fun. Wei Xiangqian still felt very warm after a short time together. Didi drivers, as a bridge, helped people from the north and south overcome physical distance and enhance trust. He was also impressed by the three beautiful and lovely "potato princesses" he received on Christmas. "Southern girls are quirky and cute, and I couldn't help laughing. As soon as they got in the car, they said it was too cold and asked me to recommend a place to take a big bath. On the way to the hot spring hall, I took them to the music park to check in the big snowman and acted as a photographer. I stopped and walked along the way to send the three "little princesses" to their destination. I didn't earn much fare, but we all gained happiness along the way." Wei Xiangqian shared.

The southern girl's heartfelt love for Harbin made him feel that picking up and dropping off every passenger from morning till night was an honorable job that was needed and recognized.

Tourists are full of praise for Harbin, and Wei Xiangqian truly feels that Harbin has accumulated a lot of experience and that "cold resources" have produced "hot power". At this time, he sees himself as more than just a Didi driver. He wants to shine in this small world of cars, represent the warm and hospitable people of Northeast China, and live up to the expectations of tourists who have come from thousands of miles away.

In addition to "travel", "accommodation" is also a typical indicator of tourism popularity. Busy Harbin hotel and homestay practitioners have received rich rewards, and many practitioners can earn more than 100,000 yuan a month during the peak tourism season in Northeast China.

Yuan Yong, the owner of a homestay in Xuexiang, told Dingjiao that his homestay has 19 rooms, which are all booked from the end of December to the Spring Festival of 2024, with a price of about 1,000 yuan per night. According to him, most of the surrounding hotels and homestays are also booked. The peak season in Xuexiang is from December to February of the following year. He can earn about 180,000 to 190,000 yuan per month during the peak season.

An inn in Changbai Mountain is located near a ski resort. There are many triple and quadruple rooms in the inn, and the per capita charge is more than 100 yuan per night. The owner Lili mentioned that most of the people who come to stay are skiers. Since the end of November, the number of people coming to ski has gradually increased, and the monthly income of the inn in the peak season is about 150,000 yuan.

Yu Xiaoyang, the founder of "Si Kuai Bing Travel", mainly does small-scale customized tours. In the past, he mainly did customized tours in western Sichuan, Gansu, and Xinjiang. In November 2023, he opened a special tour line around Harbin. He noticed that among his colleagues, more than 20 companies have recently started to do tourism business in Northeast China.

"The custom routes we design usually take 6 days, including hotels, cars, and driver-tour guides. The fee is about 8,000 yuan per person, and one car can take 4 tourists." Yu Xiaoyang introduced that after a trip, excluding car rental, hotel, gas, driver-tour guide salary, and gifts for tourists, the company can earn about 12,000 yuan per trip. Their group has arranged about three trips per month recently, with two cars traveling together on each trip, and the monthly income is about 70,000 to 80,000 yuan. Since November and December, the company's total profit is about 200,000 yuan.

All practitioners in the Northeast tourism industry chain have enjoyed a short-term bumper harvest. Yu Xiaoyang said that during the peak season, photographers, drivers, and tour guides earn about 300 to 500 yuan a day, and a monthly income of more than 10,000 yuan.

The benefits that Northeast tourism brings to practitioners are almost all-round.

3. How long will Northeast tourism be popular?

Why has tourism in Northeast China suddenly become popular?

Zhang Zhenwei, a tourism industry expert, mentioned that one of the reasons is that the last ice and snow season was missed due to the epidemic, and now it can be regarded as a compensatory release; second, tourism is a lifestyle in a different place, which requires different experiences. The unique climate and cultural expression of the Northeast meet the needs of some people; in addition, the popularity of Harbin is similar to that of Zibo before. Some young people in the south took the lead in checking in, and the promotion of self-media made the local area popular.

In his opinion, Harbin's popularity seems to be a market phenomenon, but more of a communication phenomenon.

Zhu Xu, co-founder of Wukong Car Rental, believes that whether it is the low housing prices in Hegang, the cheap morning market in Shenyang, or the large and affordable Northeastern cuisine, the image of the Northeast on the Internet hits everyone's most urgent needs - practicality and cost-effectiveness, which has pushed the Northeast to the top of hot searches again and again.

At the same time, the rich cultural heritage and tourism resources of Northeast China have attracted many people. "Jilin's Changbai Mountain, Shenyang Imperial Palace, Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, as well as hot spring scenic spots in Yingkou and Benxi in Liaoning, and winter fishing activities in Chagan Lake in Jilin Province also attract a large number of tourists every year," said Zhu Xu. Northeast China also has ice and snow sports such as skiing, skating, snowmobiling, and sledding. Harbin's Yabuli Ski Resort and Jilin's Beidahu Ski Resort are both famous ski resorts.

The 2023-2024 ski season is the first full ski season after the pandemic. In recent years, skiing has evolved from a niche sport to a daily routine for the general public, and overall demand is exploding. According to Didi Chuxing statistics, during the New Year's Day holiday, the demand for rides to ski resorts in various places increased by more than 260% compared to before the holiday. Ski resorts in Beijing, Zhangjiakou, and Harbin are more popular, with Harbin ski resort increasing by nearly 2,600%.

With the popularity coming, can Northeast China catch up to this "overwhelming wealth"? Behind the popularity, there are still some shortcomings in Northeast China tourism.

Yu Xiaoyang mentioned that apart from the Ice and Snow World, Central Street, Sophia Cathedral and Snow Town, there are not many things to do in Harbin. What's more, there are not many places for tourists to stay and experience among these projects. The Northeast is still far behind Xinjiang, western Sichuan, Yunnan, Hainan and other popular tourist destinations.

He believes that the Ice and Snow World can add some entertainment programs so that tourists can have something to do in addition to watching the ice lanterns, rather than just taking photos, checking in and leaving.

In addition, "Compared with the South, the service awareness and level of refinement in the Northeast still need to be improved. The advantage of Northeastern people is their generosity, which can also be understood as 'rough'. The quality of service needs to be improved in the future," said Yu Xiaoyang.

Zhang Zhenwei also believes that the sudden outburst of a large amount of demand has made it a serious issue for Northeast China how to provide satisfactory services and maintain market order. The ticket refund incident of Ice and Snow World is an example. Xue Village itself is also an Internet celebrity and there has been a lot of negative public opinion in the past few years.

Recently, Harbin, from the government to the citizens, has been "pampering tourists in various ways." Harbin Airport organized a New Year's Day song and dance, and flight attendants danced to welcome the "potato princesses" who came from afar. Harbin Metro launched a free "subway shuttle ticket" and extended the subway's operating hours. Sophia Square has specially added a warm station for tourists to rest and keep warm.

At the same time, some volunteers delivered warm ginger sugar water to tourists waiting in line at the Ice and Snow World, and some citizens spontaneously used their private cars to send tourists who could not get a taxi. The emotional value and actual experience of the tourists were maximized.

However, the biggest problem with tourism in Northeast China is that it is too seasonal, and even in winter, some activities are very limited. Currently, tourism in Northeast China is mainly for sightseeing, and the time is very short. Although many users are satisfied after the experience, they also said that the experience is enough once and they will not come again in the short term.

"Whether Northeast China can continue to be a hot topic and continue to be full in the next two years remains to be seen." Zhang Zhenwei suggested that the development of tourism needs to play its own advantages in the competition for talent and population. In fact, Northeast China has natural scenery and cultural projects, which can also attract tourists in summer. In the future, Northeast China tourism may need to find some good combination points to attract more tourism practitioners to improve and enhance the overall tourism supply.

At the request of the interviewees, Jiaojiao, Zhang Yu, Wei Xiangqian, Yuan Yong, Lili and Zhang Zhenwei are pseudonyms in this article.

Author: Tang Yahua, Editor: Li Ming

WeChat public account: Dingjiao (ID: dingjiaoone)