Jilin province blazes new trails in tourism development

Jilin province has driven its economic growth in recent years by developing ice and snow tourism in winter, and resorts promotion and rural tourism in summer.

One-third of the scenes in Beijing's eight-minute show at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, which dazzled the world, were filmed at winter destinations in cold and snowy Jilin province.

According to Yang Andi, director of the Jilin Province Tourism and Development Commission, the province has set a goal of completing an ice and snow industrial chain which involves not only tourism but also sports and local culture by the end of 2020.

After that time the ice and snow industry is expected to become a new pillar in the province's economic growth.

The winter tourism products revolve around ice and snow travel, hot spring relaxation, scenic sightseeing as well as local accommodation and cuisine.

Skiing, hot spring experiencing and rime appreciation have become popular travel options among tourists from home and abroad.

The province has also committed itself to building a popular national summer resort industry by taking full advantage of its ecology -- the vast and clear rivers, the lush mountains as well as the high forest coverage rate.

Rural tourism, as exemplified by the farm tours, has already become an important channel by which the province may achieve agricultural transformation and upgrading and enrich its rural citizens.