Heilongjiang a cool summer getaway

HARBIN－Rows of recreational vehicles are parked neatly in the city of Heihe in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, while groups of tourists drink tea, chat and prepare food.

As many parts of China have entered "hot weather mode" as summer reaches its height, cities in the country's northernmost province have seen a tourism boom.

Summer temperatures in Heihe, located on the border between China and Russia, rarely top 20 C, and many tourists from all over the country have chosen to spend the summer here as part of an "RV tour".

"The city is clean, and it's very convenient to buy food at the morning market. It is very comfortable here. I plan to stay for a few more days," says Ji Guifeng, a tourist from Tianjin.

"We have planned special parking areas for RV tourists, providing them with services such as water and electricity," says Li Liyan with the city's tourism bureau.

With an excellent environment, cool climate conditions and improved supporting facilities, Heihe has vigorously developed its tourism sector in recent years, Li says.

Xingkai Lake in the southeast of Heilongjiang is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast China, with a total area of 4,380 square kilometers. Tourists have flocked to play in the water and sunbathe on the beach.

"I brought my kids here for the summer holiday. The view is pleasant, and fish from the lake tastes very good," says tourist Li Xiaoyuan.

The scenic lake's administration has also developed facilities for beach football and volleyball, as well as speedboat and motorboat activities to enrich the tourism experience.

Located in the northernmost part of the province, the city of Mohe boasts a comfortable daily temperature of 18 C.

This summer, Mohe launched a number of featured boutique tourist routes around the themes of summer vacation, forest health, family gathering and arctic self-driving, says Zhang Xinze, deputy director of the city's tourism bureau.

Entering summer, the "ice city "of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang, also ushered in the tourist season. As of July, the Harbin airport had seen a daily passenger flow of more than 45,000. On July 30, the single-day passenger throughput exceeded 50,000, half of whom were tourists who had flown from southern China.

Xinhua