10 prettiest places in winter in China

By Chen Xia
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, January 7, 2020
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It's winter in China now, but you don't need to find a beach to beat the winter blues. 

China.org.cn selected 10 of the most picturesque snow-covered places in China, many of which look like they've been plucked straight out of a fairy tale. 

Bundle up, keep warm, and we'll show you around!

# Xuexiang town

A night view of Xuexiang, or China's snow town, in northeast China's Heilongjiang province. [File photo / China News Service]

Xuexiang, or China's Snow Town, is actually not its real name, but its nickname attests to just how beautiful the place is in winter. The town is officially known as the Shuangfeng Wood Farm.

Located in northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Xuexiang sees snowfall for seven months in a year. The snow covering the roofs of its famous log cabins can sometimes reach one meter high!

An unusual scene unique to the village is "snow mushrooms," which are formed after sticky snow falls onto wood piles.

# Wusong Island

The rime in Wusong Island, northeast China's Jilin province. [File photo / VCG]

Located in northeast China's Jilin province, Wusong Island is famous for its marvelous winter scenery. 

Wusong means frost or rime on trees. It is the result of the interaction between the cold air and warm vapor from the nearby river.

The beautiful rime in Jilin is regarded as one of China's four natural wonders. The other three are the mountains and waters in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the Stone Forest in Yunnan province, and the Three Gorges along the Yangtze River.

# Changbai Mountain

The Tianchi Lake atop Changbai Mountain in northeast China's Jilin province. [File photo / China.org.cn]

Changbai Mountain, located on the border between China and the DPRK, is the source of the Tumen, Yalu, and Songhua rivers. 

The most well-known site on the mountain is the Tianchi, or Heaven Lake. As a crater lake perched atop the mountain, locals believe that Tianchi is a holy lake.

The Changbaishan Nature Reserve was involved in UNESCO's "Man and Biosphere" program in 1980 and has become part of the world's biosphere reserves.

# Beiji village

Visitors in Mohe village experience the game of "spraying water into ice." [File photo / Xinhua]

Beiji village is China's northernmost point. It is located in Mohe city, which is in northeast China's Heilongjiang province.

With the lowest temperature approaching minus 30 degrees celsius, water instantly freezes when it is sprayed into the air, making it a unique experience for tourists.

# Harbin city

An aerial view of the Harbin Ice-Snow World. [File photo / Xinhua]

Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang province in northeast China, is known as "the Oriental Moscow" for its Russian-style buildings such as the St. Sophia Cathedral.

Ice and snow have become a magnet for tourism in Harbin. Every year, the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, a carnival extravaganza that impresses visitors with an entire world made from ice and snow is held.

The city is also home to the Harbin Ice-snow World, China's largest ice and snow theme park. The ice carvings there are regarded as some of the world's finest ice art. 

# Yabuli city

Yabuli Ski Resort in Heilongjiang [Photo / Xinhua]

Located 210km to the southeast of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang, Yabuli is famous for having the largest ski resort in China - the Yabuli International Ski Resort. 

The resort features the largest ski jumping facilities in the country. It hosted the 1996 Winter Asian Games, the 2008 National Winter Games and the 2009 Winter Universiade. Winter sports lovers mustn't miss this paradise!

# Yichun city

Yichun, northeast China's Heilongjiang province. [File photo / VCG]

Yichun, nicknamed "The Forest Capital" and "Natural Oxygen Bar" for its lush and expansive forests, is yet another winter resort in northeast China's Heilongjiang province. 

The area, which has the largest red pine forest in the world, is an important timber production base. Its abundant natural resources also make it a popular travel destination all year around, especially in winter when all the trees are covered in snow, offering visitors views of an amazingly serene world.

# Altay city

Altay in Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. [File photo / VCG]

Altay is located in Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. 

Tourist attractions here include the Kanas Lake, Birch Park, the Altay Mountains and the Erqis River. In winter, the snow-covered trees, rocks, rivers and mountains present visitors with a pure and wondrous landscape.

# Hulun Buir

A performance in the opening ceremony of the 2019 Hulun Buir Winter Nadam Fair in Hulun Buir, north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [File photo / Xinhua]

Hulun Buir in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region is famous for its expansive grasslands. 

Winters are long, dry and severe here. Besides normal winter recreational activities, Hulun Buir holds the winter Nadam fair every year. The Nadam Fair, meaning "entertainment" or "recreation" in Mongolian, is a traditional Mongolian mass festival mainly filled with sporting events.

# Tibet 

The winter scene at the Potala Palace in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet autonomous region. [File photo / Xinhua]

Although Tibet is chilly all year round, it is not as cold as you would expect it to be in the winter. During those frigid months, Lhasa is surprisingly even warmer than Beijing.

The region is at its most authentic in winter. Throngs of tourists are replaced by flocks of pilgrims journeying to Lhasa. 

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