HARBIN -- China Snow Town, one of the most renowned ice-and-snow tourism destinations in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, officially opened to the public on Monday.

Located in the city of Mudanjiang, the scenic area has planned more than 30 cultural and tourism activities, including traditional folk customs, modern performances, and technological light shows, aiming to provide visitors with an immersive ice-and-snow experience this winter.

According to the scenic area management, the first snowfall of the season occurred in the "Snow Town" on Oct 17 this year, which was six days earlier than the previous year. The region typically experiences its first snowfall in October every year at the "Snow Town," with a snow season that lasts for seven months. Snow depth can reach up to 2 meters at its peak.

The romantic ice-and-snow landscape of this scenic area has attracted tourists from around the world to Heilongjiang. Last winter, it received a total of 1.45 million tourists, setting a new record.

As one of China's most popular winter travel destinations, the province's ice-and-snow economy achieved a market value of 266.17 billion yuan (about $37.6 billion) in 2024, with ice-and-snow tourism output totaling 182.33 billion yuan.

China has unveiled an ambitious plan to develop its ice-and-snow economy as a new economic driver. A guideline released by the State Council last year set targets of reaching 1.2 trillion yuan in total market value by 2027 and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030.