Kids take training courses at the Alps Snow Live indoor ski resort in Taicang, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua)

　　SNOW STARTS A GOLD RUSH

　　As enthusiasm for winter sports surges, the knock-on effects for tourism, culture and equipment manufacturing are profound. Winter tourism, for example, boomed last season. China recorded over 385 million winter leisure visits nationwide, a year-on-year increase of 38 percent, with related revenue up 50 percent.

　　In Harbin, a traditional winter tourism hot spot in northeastern China, last snow season saw over 87 million visitors, up 300 percent year on year, and 124.8 billion yuan in tourism revenue, up 500 percent.

　　With the city set to host the Asian Winter Games next February, right after China's Spring Festival holiday, the local ice-and-snow economy looks poised for another explosive season.

　　Performers act during a ceremony celebrating the 100-day countdown to the 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Oct. 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)

　　To accelerate growth in the northeastern region's winter economy, the Chinese government has recently unveiled initiatives including establishing dedicated ice-and-snow holidays, increasing flight routes and optimizing visa-free policies, all aimed at attracting more domestic and international visitors.