How come this "enormous wealth" has come to Harbin?

With the arrival of winter, Harbin in the north has become a popular tourist destination. So why has Harbin become a leader in the tourism market this winter? This article will take us to understand the reasons behind Harbin's popularity. Let's take a look.

This overwhelming wealth has finally come to Harbin.

During the just-passed New Year's Day holiday, the tourism markets in various places were booming, and Harbin was the most prominent one among them.

According to the 2024 New Year's Day and New Year's Eve Travel Insights released by Ctrip Travel, Harbin's order volume increased by 631% year -on-year during the New Year's Day holiday. Orders for Harbin ice and snow hotels in December increased by 17 times year-on-year , and orders for ice and snow group tours increased by 79 times year-on-year .

In the face of the influx of tourists, the Heilongjiang government even issued a letter of thanks to tourists from home and abroad. In the eyes of the outside world, Harbin has officially taken over from Zibo and become the "new top city".

Regarding Harbin’s sudden popularity, some tourists asked why the authorities did not spend money to buy hot searches.

In this regard, He Jing, secretary of the Party Committee of the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said, " We have never thought about spending money to buy trending searches. For every video we release, we will mainly look at the comments below. The areas where tourists are dissatisfied in the comment section are where we need to improve ."

It is reported that Harbin has launched a "hundred-day action" for winter ice and snow tourism since January 2023. After that, it planned many high-traffic IPs, such as "Truant Penguin", to use these IPs to detonate the tourism market in Heilongjiang. Therefore, it is better to say that it is "long-planned" rather than suddenly becoming popular.

1. Harbin’s winter is more than just a world of ice and snow

When talking about winter in Harbin, most people’s first reaction is Ice and Snow World.

As the "Disney" of the people in Northeast China, Ice and Snow World has the largest ice lantern exhibition area in the country, and the 500-meter-long ice slide makes people feel as if they are in the ice and snow kingdom.

Although this year's Ice and Snow World has just opened, the process of workers removing ice from the Songhua River and building ice sculptures has already gone viral.

The aerial video of the construction process of the Ice and Snow World went viral on the short video platform, and netizens manually tagged Guo Fan for coming to take the picture.

The unfinished giant buildings in the aerial footage and the high-altitude cranes looming in the wind and snow, accompanied by the majestic background music, have become the scenes that netizens imagine "The Wandering Earth 4" should have.

What attracts people to Harbin is not only the ice and snow, but also the “excellent” prices.

Northeastern people have their own "monetary system", and tourists will deeply understand this as long as they visit the morning market.

In other cities, if you spend 100 yuan on a meal, you are playing the "eating survival game". In Harbin, 100 yuan becomes a "how to eat without getting fat challenge".

Corn steamed buns made of pure cornmeal, glutinous fried cakes, sticky yellow flour pancakes unique to Northeast China, and chocolate fried dough sticks that are a combination of Chinese and Western food... plus a bowl of mutton offal soup or corn grits porridge can instantly drive away the cold and solve all the difficulties in life.

Tourists who start their day at the morning market will most likely have to take a bath in the evening.

No matter you have used your butt to "brake" a few times while skiing or done a few splits on the ice, as long as you step into the gate of Shuihui, you will be guaranteed to "rejuvenate in a second".

How much do Northeasterners love bathhouses? Probably to the extent of turning the Louvre into a bathhouse.

If your impression of Northeastern bathhouses is still stuck on the scenes in period dramas where a man with tattoos made dumplings in a small pool, then you must go to Harbin in person to experience its modern upgraded version.

Today, Yonglehui not only offers massage and sauna, but also buffet, movie and overnight stay... There are so many options that the spiritual fortress can't contain them all. Friends from the south who have been there once all said: This is a good place, and I sincerely recommend that it be promoted nationwide.

In the bitter cold, the bustling morning markets and bathhouses are the epitome of the hot life of the people in Northeast China. In Harbin's retro buildings, people still yearn for the simple and beautiful life after a century of history.

2. How enthusiastic are people from Northeast China?

Harbin’s sudden popularity is inseparable from the efforts of the local government and is also the result of the cooperation of the people of Northeast China.

How enthusiastic are people from Northeast China?

At present, all major bathing centers have been successfully occupied by the little potatoes. In response to this, the locals do not go out unless necessary, and try to leave the tourist resources to the southern tourists.

Recently, a video about "free ride-sharing" in Harbin has become popular on major social media platforms, attracting likes from netizens across the country.

It turns out that many Harbin citizens, in their spare time, use their private cars to act as "ride-sharing drivers". As long as tourists wave their hands on the roadside, they can take the car for free.

In addition, in order to welcome the young potatoes from the south, the Harbin Culture and Tourism Bureau even used the "beauty plan". All the handsome men from the Sports College, who were 185cm tall, gathered on Central Street in large flowered jackets.

Look at this 185cm tall handsome guy from Northeast China, waiting in the snow and ice to pour brown sugar water for a girl from the South. These girls from Northeast China have never experienced such thoughtful service.

If a girl from Northeast China says it's cold, she will definitely be criticized, "You are so cold, why don't you wear more clothes when you go out?" But when it comes to the "little potatoes" in the south, they will be patient and gentle.

Even the Heilongjiang Development and Reform Commission issued a notice to ensure that the "little potatoes" can have fun in the Northeast.

It is clearly stipulated that ticket prices cannot be raised during the peak tourist season, tourists cannot be forced to take the bus and charged, additional charging items cannot be added without authorization, and ticket exemption policies for specific groups must be fully implemented.

Thousands of words can be summed up in one sentence - " We are not important, the tourists' happiness is the most important ."

3. How did Harbin become so popular?

It’s no surprise that Harbin is so popular. But why is it this year, and why is it now?

You should know that most of Harbin’s tourist resources were not newly created, but have existed for many years.

Without mentioning the distant past, let’s just talk about the Ice and Snow World. This limited-time event is a long-standing classic, since 1999, and it has a history of 24 years to date.

Therefore, rather than saying that this wave of Harbin's popularity is an accident, it is better to say that it is the inevitable result of the efforts of the entire Northeast over the past year.

From Fan Wei's "The Long Season", to Liu Shuang's "Mohe Ballroom", to Uncle Benshan's "Legend of Quedaomen", one classic literary and artistic work after another has attracted everyone's attention by constantly swiping the screen.

On platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Douyin, we can often see posts about "Northeast Travel".

"The food at the Northeast morning market is too cheap", "Why are the vegetables in the Northeast so big", "People in the Northeast love southern potatoes to bits". These posts based on personal experiences have further accelerated the tourism boom in the Northeast.

Even in September this year, Harbin Tourism even produced a promotional video. It introduced itself with a rap song that young people like to hear. "My last name is Ha, and I drink Aha. Everyone from all corners of the country praises me. I slide in the ice and snow, and I am the best in the mountains and rivers!"

In fact, looking back at the rise of Zibo and Harbin, it is not difficult to find that they have many similarities, such as their generosity and enthusiasm in receiving tourists and their positive attitude in promptly rectifying problems.

Ultimately, it was their sincerity that touched people's hearts.

In the past two days, Harbin tourism has been on the hot search list, one of which is "Harbin's prices are so cheap."

Under this trending search, many netizens complained that some places "seriously overcharge customers" and "eat in an ugly way". In contrast, Harbin's prices are very friendly. Snow boots for 39 yuan, thermal pants for 29 yuan, German fleece vests for 19 yuan... It turns out that 100 yuan can not only buy enough food and drink at the morning market, but also buy a whole set of clothes.

In fact, tourists have their own judgment and they know how to choose their "favorite" destination.

Business relies on word of mouth. If all cities are willing to treat tourists like "emperors" like Harbin, then why worry about the development of tourism?

It's not that Europe is unaffordable, but Harbin is more cost-effective. The icy and snowy northern scenery and the good and cheap travel experience have attracted more and more young people to Harbin's elegance and market.

4. Final Thoughts

However, compared with some veteran internet celebrity cities, Harbin now seems "a little immature".

Its popularity is more due to people's curiosity about the unique environment of the north and their pursuit of high cost-effectiveness.

Compared with famous internet celebrity cities such as Chengdu, Changsha and Xi'an, which have accumulated a lot of food and culture over the years, Harbin still has a long way to go.

If a city lacks a truly attractive core, it is likely to become the next "Zibo", where popularity comes and goes quickly.

Therefore, how to break through and achieve long-term success is a new topic that Northeastern friends need to think about.

Bless Harbin.

Author: Yan Tao

WeChat public account: Yan Tao San Shou