Former forest farm transforms into China's "Snow Town"

In about two decades, a village transformed from a forest farm into China's "Snow Town." Located about 280 km from Harbin, the capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the "Snow Town" embraces visitors with stunning snow views.

"In the past, most people here made a living by logging," said Fan Zhaoyi, a hotel owner at Shuangfeng Forest Farm in Mudanjiang city. "It was difficult to transport wood because of the heavy snow."

The snow season at Shuangfeng Forest can last up to seven months a year, and the annual average snowfall thickness can reach 2.6 meters.

With the reduction of timber production, lumbering lost its glory. "Many forestry workers went to work elsewhere. No one wanted my house for 500 yuan (about 74.6 U.S. dollars)," said Gao Xiuli, Fan's neighbor. Her husband also transitioned from a forestry worker to a car repairer.

"At that time, the forest farms encouraged workers to engage in tourism, but many people were afraid to try. Less than ten households dared to open hotels, but I was one of them," Fan said, recalling the massive change in 2000.

Fan's courage does not come from anywhere. Thanks to the high mountains, dense forests, low wind speed, and suitable temperature and humidity, the snow at Shuangfeng Forest Farm has a high viscosity. The snow falls in various shapes according to the objects, forming unique "snow mushrooms," "snow cakes," and "snow curtains."

"I opened four rooms the first year and started to gain profits the second year," Fan said. In 2018, Fan invested over 4 million yuan and expanded his hotel to 30 rooms. His success also encouraged other people to invest. Today, there are more than 200 business entities in the "Snow Town" resort.

The "Snow Town" has also been upgrading its tourist products to provide better service for its tourists. Tourists do not need to line up for tickets as advanced devices such as face recognition and other smart tourism platforms have been adopted.

"The platform can count tourist numbers, collect reviews, and monitor the environment. It is able to do tourists' portrait analysis and early warning of dense tourist flows," said Ren Jianpeng, deputy head of the forest-tourism industry development department of Dahailin Forestry Bureau Co., Ltd.

Next summer, the "Snow Town" is going to build health-care and study-tour centers, realizing year-round travel.

On Dec. 12, 2022, the winter tourist season at the "Snow Town" began, and 100,000 tickets were pre-sold. China's "Snow Town" has continued to gain popularity among various travel agencies and online platforms. The white snow and red lanterns create a strong Spring Festival vibe, attracting tourists from all over.