High-speed rail network set to boost tourism in the winter

Xiong Qi, a native of Central China's Hunan province who now lives in Shanghai, has decided to celebrate the "winter festival" by taking a trip to Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, to visit its famous ice festival.

"Winter festival" is how Xiong refers to the winter solstice, a time when as a child he ate dumplings and sat on his parents' comfortable sofa watching movies.

Although North China's snowy season is not a traditional time for outings, it has benefited from the expansion of the high-speed rail network and the growing public interest in winter sports, and an increasing number of travelers such as Xiong are embracing it as a time for fun.