The chilly city of Harbin experienced a flurry of tourists during the three-day New Year holiday. Dubbed “Ice City” for its annual Ice and Snow Festival, the capital of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province drew 3.05 million visitors, generating nearly 6 billion yuan (US$844m) in tourism revenue, a record high. To enhance winter tourism, city authorities planned various activities such as concerts, theme parks and firework displays, and improved dining, accommodation, travel and shopping options.
A major portion of Harbin’s tourists come from China’s southern provinces, which rarely experience heavy snow. Many were captivated by the city’s snowscapes and dazzling ice sculptures of its namesake Ice and Snow Festival, now in its 25th year.
The tourism craze was further fueled by a social media meme. As many southern visitors to Harbin opted for light-colored puffy coats and beanies that gave them a tuberous appearance, coupled with their relatively shorter stature compared to northern Chinese, locals affectionately nicknamed them “little southern potatoes.” It went viral.
While some netizens took offense to the name, calling it discriminative and belittling, locals said it is intended as a term of endearment and an expression of goodwill.
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