Thanks to the cold snap currently gripping China, searches for destinations offering ice and snow tourism have increased by 86 percent since November 15, compared with the week before, according to online travel platform Qunar.com. Cities in the northeast of the country such as Harbin, Shenyang and Changchun are listed as the top three most popular destinations for winter tours. 

The Ice and Snow Festival as well as the Ice and Snow World in Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang Province, lure large crowds every winter. In Jilin Province, Changbai Mountain is the biggest draw for its hot springs and ski facilities, according to Qunar.

The data from Qunar also indicated that a large proportion of tourists were from the cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Qingdao and Hangzhou. In addition, the number of tourists from Xi'an rose by 255 percent year-on-year while those from Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Shenzhen showed an increase of 150 percent.

The 2022 Winter Olympics to be held in the venues of Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou have inspired an increasing number of people to participate in winter activities. 

(Infographic designed by Qu Bo)

(Cover: Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /VCG Photo)