Improved transportation infrastructure speeds up ice and snow tourism development in Jilin

With an improved transportation network and enhanced transportation services, Jilin is seeing accelerated growth of its ice and snow tourism sector.

At the Changbai Mountain high-speed railway station, the neat waiting room is full of characteristic tourism images of Jilin like the Heavenly Lake and Beauty Pinetree. The station welcomed its first over 400 tourists on December 24 when the Changbai Mountain-Dunhua section of the Shenyang-Jiamusi High-speed Railway opened to traffic.

The cabins of the high-speed trains are also characteristic of Changbai Mountain.

"The train is so distinctively decorated that the moment I got in it I felt like I were already in Changbai Mountain,” said Sun Yanhua, one of the first tourists.

With the opening of the Changbai Mountain-Dunhua section, Changbain Mountain entered its high-speed railway era, connected to Changchun city, the northeast China region and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region by high-speed railway. The trip from Changchun city to Changbai Mountain, for example, was shortened to two hours and eighteen minutes at its best.

Geng Deyong, head of tourism, culture and sports of the Changbai Mountain Administrative Committee, said that there would be 14 pairs of high-speed trains into and out of Changbai Mountain daily after the opening of the section.

Going forward, the Changbain Mountain would work to cut the travel time to 19 cities with high-speed railway stations like Beijing, Shenyang and Dalian, and increase the frequency of trains to cities like Beijing and Shenyang, said Geng.

This, together with efforts to study the diverse demands of tourists and to roll out more targeted tourist products, would drive annual tourists to Changbai Mountain up to ten million, Geng predicted.

At Lianhua Mountain, another famous scenic area of Jilin, daily tourist car arrivals average several thousand.

"The ice and snow amusement facilities are many and fun at the Lianhua Mountain ecological resort. It's a pity I didn't have an opportunity to come here before. This time with the convenience provided by the free high-speed railway trip, I came here to ski with my friends," said tourist Li Ping.

To boost ice and snow tourism, the Lianhua Mountain will pay for the expressway toll fees for tourists for the section between Changchun East and Lianhua Mountain toll gates from December 25, 2021 to March 25, 2022.

The free expressway ride represented the efforts the Lianhua Mountain ecological resort has been making in recent years to vigorously develop winter tourism with its abundant ice and snow resources. It has not only rolled out fine tourist products but also improved accommodation, dining, leisure and other support facilities.

In addition, many expressway service areas in Jilin have seen major facelifts. By adding new functions, these areas, previously only equipped with convenience stores and public toilets, have now become tourist attractions themselves.  

For example, with a theme "Date with Ice and Snow," the Huinan service area now has both indoor and outdoor ice and snow settings, which attracted a big number of tourists to watch. There are also interactive somatosensory games for tourists to experience skii as well as tracks to experience curling.

As a service area all tourists to the Changbai Mountain scenic area will pass, the Huinan service area has included distinctive ice and snow features in its design, complete with Changbai Mountain elements and introduction to ski resorts, said Wang Peng, deputy general manager of the Jigao Service Area Mangement Co. Ltd.

In addition to the ice and snow-themed Huinan service area, there are also Chagan Lake fishing culture themed and Changbai Mountain scenery themed service areas by the expressways that lead to or pass famous scenic areas of Jilin. These service areas, while providing colorful activities, also enable tourists to have an initial knowledge about the scenic areas and tourist products they are about to go and experience.

Next, the Jilin Expressway Group will give full play to Jilin's distinctive features, and while ensuring basic services and functions, continue to build ice and snow-themed service areas based on the resources of the Changbai Mountain area to further promote ice and snow tourism, culture and sports.