A singer performs at the opening ceremony of the China Arxan International Regimen Ice and Snow Festival which was held in Arxan city, Hinggan League, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on the evening of Dec 21. [Photo by Shi Liwei and Liu Xiuhong]

The opening ceremony of the 13th China Arxan International Regimen Ice and Snow Festival was held in Arxan city, Hinggan League, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on the evening of Dec 21. 

Sponsored by the Hinggan CPC Committee and the sub-provincial administrative office of Hinggan League, the event was hosted by the Arxan CPC Committee and the government of Arxan city. 

As part of the Snow Festival, the city has developed 25 new tourism products, 15 related forums, eight supporting policies and four high-quality tourism routes for visitors.

Tourists can savor the winter fun by watching skiing competitions, snow soccer competitions, horse races and motor races during the event, which will last until May 31, 2019. An ice engraving exhibition, photographic exhibition and a local product exhibition will also be held. 

During the ceremony, Gao Changsheng, Party secretary of Arxan municipal committee, delivered a speech in which he highlighted the efforts of Arxan in transforming its ice tourism resources into tangible economic benefits. 

He expressed his sincere wish that more tourists would visit the city in winter. 

This year, Arxan is planning for a bumper winter tourist season, with new initiatives to promote its hot springs, ice and snow, hard rime and forests. 

The city plans to use the festival as a starting point to help develop a "winter tourism" brand.

In 2018, Arxan city received around 4 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 17 percent, with the total tourism revenue reaching 5.13 billion yuan ($743 million), a year-on-year increase of 18 percent.

The opening ceremony was attended by Ren Yaping, member of the national committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC); Ai Lihua, vice-chairwoman of the government of Inner Mongolia; Zhang Enhui, secretary of the CPC committee of Hinggan League; Guo Changzeng, deputy inspector of the finance department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Duan Shijie, chairman of China Skiing Association; Ma Xinming, director of the Beijing office of pairing-assistance and economic cooperation; Shi Mo, deputy secretary-general of the government of Inner Mongolia, and other officials. 

The ceremony also saw officials and entrepreneurs from Mongolia, China’s Hunan and Anhui provinces and Tibet autonomous region in attendance.

Tourists view an ice engraving exhibition. [Photo by Shi Liwei and Liu Xiuhong]

A firework show is staged at the opening ceremony of the China Arxan International Regimen Ice and Snow Festival. [Photo by Shi Liwei and Liu Xiuhong]

Well-decorated houses are presented to visitors during the ice and snow festival. [Photo by Shi Liwei and Liu Xiuhong]

A European-style house is on display for visitors at the opening ceremony of the festival. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]