'Ice and Fire': The best tourist destinations in China in winter

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An estimated 340 million tourists will make winter trips in China from 2021 to 2022, according to an annual report from China Tourism Academy.

With December just around the corner, savvy travelers are planning their perfect winter trips. CGTN has selected six destinations below for you to experience the best winter scenes in China.

1. China's Snow Town - A dreamlike fairyland

Located in the Shuangfeng Wood Farm 280 kilometers southeast of Harbin, the capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, China's Snow Town (Xue Xiang) is known as a dreamlike fairyland in winter.

An aerial view of China's Snow Town in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, January 19, 2017. /VCG Photo

Snow falls here seven months out of the year, with snow being as high as two meters. The average temperature in January is around minus 20 degrees Celsius.

China's Snow Town in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on March 12, 2018. /VCG Photo

It's an ideal place for visitors to experience snow activities like ice sloping, ice boating and motorcycling. For photography enthusiasts, birches, little huts, red lanterns, wattle wall, and sunrises are all wonderful themes.

Do remember to bring warm clothes, sunglasses and sun cream.

2. Mohe - The coldest place in China

Snow, Santa Clause and the aurora borealis make Mohe City a winter wonderland for tourists. Located in the northern extremity of China in Heilongjiang Province, Mohe is the coldest place in China.

Water freezes into ice instantly in Mohe City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, February 5, 2018. /VCG Photo

Winter season is very long here, from November to the end of April. The average temperature in winter is minus 20 to 40 degrees Celsius – the coldest place in China. Mohe holds the record for the lowest plunge of the thermometer: minus 52.3 degrees Celsius, recorded on February 13, 1956.

Night view of the Arctic Village of Mohe, December 14, 2017. /VCG Photo

Another reason tourists flock to Mohe is that the Arctic Village of Mohe City is the only place in China where people are able to enjoy the atmospheric phenomena of the aurora borealis, if lucky enough.

Tourists learn ice fishing from a local resident, December 15, 2017. /VCG Photo

Tourists can learn from the local residents how to catch fish in such cold weather with ice in rivers and lakes being meters thick.

Again, do wear warm clothes, very warm clothes.

3. Kanas Lake - Heaven of peace

Kanas Lake, meaning mysterious, rich and beautiful, located in the Altay region in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is probably one of the best places to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

Kanas Lake in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, September, 2018. /VCG Photo

From September to May, the water in the lake remains a dazzling turquoise, and the color changes according to seasons and the weather conditions. The coldest month is January, with an average temperature of minus 24 degrees Celsius.

Winter scenery of Kanas Lake in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, January 20, 2018. /VCG Photo

Visitors are suggested to hike to the Guangyu Pavilion where they can enjoy an aerial view of the lake and nearby grasslands. Local Kazakh food, snow diving and goat-grabbing games are all unique experiences to this area.

Local people snow dive in Hemu Village of Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, January 1, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

Winter tourism at Kanas Lake has been greatly promoted due to the area's improved transportation and accommodations. Visitors can either book a fight ticket or take a bus to Kanas from Urumqi, capital of the autonomous region.

While the winter destinations above are magical for you to spend the cold winter time, ditching the winter jacket and grabbing a bikini during the coldest months of the year could also be a good choice to spend the winter.

If a warm weather getaway sounds appealing, then why not try some other places where you could be soaking up the sun? Here are three ideal destinations where you can escape the cold winter and experience summer time in advance!

1. Sanya – Gateway to the sun

Lying in China's southernmost Hainan Province, Sanya is a world-class beachfront tropical city. Known as the "Hawaii in the Orient," Sanya boasts fantastic beaches, crystal-clear seawater and coconut palms. It has also been noted as a gateway to escape the cold in winter. Every year, many tourists from home and abroad flock to Sanya for the winter time.

In Hainan Province, the latitude is extremely low and that's why Sanya's annual average temperature is around 25 degrees. In addition, the tropical climate blends with fresh air to create a paradise for travelers.

Aerial view of Sanya. /VCG Photo

Yalong Bay, Dadonghai Bay and Sanya Bay are the three famous bays in Sanya. Strolling along the beach in Sanya, you can throw away the trouble and just relax and enjoy your cozy holiday.

2. Xishuangbanna – A paradise for winter

Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, located at the southernmost tip of southwestern Yunnan Province, is one of the most-visited spots in winter because of its favorable climate and unique scenery.

As the only tropical rainforest nature reserve in China, this place has surprising biological diversity in the virgin forest due to its geographical factor.

Front gate of a temple building in the Dai Minority Park, Ganlanba (Menghan), Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. /VCG Photo

The climate is humid and warm here, and the temperature gap between the coldest month and the hottest month is only 10 degrees Celsius, which makes it one of the ideal places to enjoy pleasant temperatures during the cold months.

3. Tengchong – An ideal site to enjoy the hot springs

Tengchong, a county-level city, is situated in the western part of Yunnan Province. It enjoys a mild subtropical highland climate and this place is full of sunshine all year round. Visitors could head to Tengchong for travel at any time of the year but winter is an time.

In particular, the hot springs in Tengchong Rehai, the geothermal center of the county, are one of the good choices for visitors to spend the winter time. Among which, Tengchong Rehai Dagunguo, or the "Big Boiling Pot" is the best hot spring in Tengchong. It's more than three meters in diameter with the depth of 1.5 meters; the water temperature is 102 degrees Celsius at the bottom while the side water temperature is 96.6 degrees Celsius.

Tengchong Rehai Dagunguo (Big Boiling Pot) . /VCG Photo

Hot water is ejected intermittently into the nearby streams with a thunderous roar. There contains a wide variety of minerals in the water, making it an ideal place to relax.

In addition, Rehai has dozens of spas and hotels with hot springs and spa treatments, and most of them are in the geothermal park, where an entrance ticket costs 60 yuan, or around 8.7 U.S. dollars.