Tourists enchanted by China's 'Ice City' Harbin

Located in the southwest of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin is known as the "Ice City" and has won widespread recognition through its unremitting development of culture and tourism.

Harbin lies near the border with Russia and winters can be harsh, which also means there are abundant ice and snow resources.

At the Harbin Ice and Snow World, a renowned seasonal theme park which opens every winter, the ice slides have emerged as the star attraction this year, with the longest slide spanning an impressive 521 meters.

In addition, at the Harbin Ice and Snow World, about 250,000 cubic meters of ice and snow have been crafted into miniature versions of landmark buildings and sculptures.

The Harbin Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival has also captivated many tourists with a wide range of thrilling attractions.

The carnival provides more than 40 immersive entertainment activities, including drifting on snow tubes, ice skating vehicles, snowmobile rides and horse-drawn carts.

Riding an air-cushion boat on the frozen Songhua River is a popular activity. With high-pressure air, there is a cushion between the boat bottom and the ice surface, allowing passengers to speed across the ice up to 65 kilometers per hour.

Harbin has also installed carpets in the busy pedestrian tunnel under the famous Central Street to prevent tourists unfamiliar with the icy environment from slipping.

"Locals are joking about how much we're spoiling these tourists," said Ma Yinghong, deputy director of the Central Street Service Assurance Center.

The Siberian Tiger Park is another popular tourist destination. Siberian tigers are among the world's critically endangered species. They mainly live in northeastern China and eastern Russia.

The park is one of three run by the China Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Center, the world's largest breeding center for the rare tigers. The other two are located in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province, and Shenyang, Liaoning Province.