In recent days, the internet meme "The Wind of Erbin Blows to Southeast Asia" has become popular, and tourists from Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia are flocking to China's "Ice City" with unprecedented enthusiasm. From the coconut groves by the seaside at 18 degrees north latitude to the icy and snowy terrain at 45 degrees north latitude, this phenomenon reflects the resilience and vitality of China's ice and snow economy, as well as the new atmosphere of mutual understanding between Chinese and foreign people under the visa free policy. In the middle of winter, on the central street of Harbin's century old street, Thai tourist Natapong Songchai was enveloped in a chill of over minus 20 degrees Celsius, driven by a sense of contrast. Despite stomping his feet in the cold, he still followed the local customs and tasted a Madier popsicle, unable to conceal his excitement: "This feeling is amazing! There are exquisite ice sculptures, European architecture, and Western cuisine here, and the combination of Chinese and Western styles is very charming." The extreme contrast between "cold" and "hot" is a major driving force for attracting Southeast Asian tourists to "go north". Han Yuanjun, a researcher at the China Tourism Research Institute, analyzed that the hot climate and scarcity of ice and snow resources in Southeast Asia have a natural appeal, attracting more and more local tourists to seek differentiated experiences in Northeast China. Not only for sightseeing, skiing is also quietly popular among Southeast Asian tourists. The South Korean military observed that although outdoor alpine skiing resources are scarce in tropical regions, the rise of indoor ski resorts in Southeast Asia in recent years has cultivated a group of skiing enthusiasts. Many Southeast Asian tourists specifically come to Northeast China to experience skiing tourism and vacation, "he said. At the Pudacuo Scenic Area in Shangri La, Diqing Prefecture, Yunnan Province, many Southeast Asian tourists are experiencing snow scenery up close for the first time. The ice and snow forests, ice covered walkways, and other projects here are suitable for family experiences and are favored by children, driving the continuous heating of the ice and snow tourism market. In recent years, China has been deeply cultivating the international market through both "going out" and "bringing in" strategies. By holding the "Hello! China" ice and snow tourism overseas promotion season for several consecutive years, Chinese ice and snow brands have achieved targeted dissemination in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam. Data shows that Harbin, Jilin, Aba in Sichuan and other places have significantly increased the number of Southeast Asian ice and snow tourists they receive. Professor Tang Chengcai from the School of Tourism Science at Beijing International Studies University said that this growth is no longer simply a combination of passenger flow, but a deep integration of China's ice and snow industry chain with the global tourism consumption market, building an international new ecology covering product research and development, cultural exchange, and service trade. Visa free convenience opens up the journey of "let's go". According to the "China Ice and Snow Economy Development Report (2025)" released by the General Administration of Sport of China, the scale of China's ice and snow industry has jumped from 364.7 billion yuan in 2016 to 980 billion yuan in 2024. In the nearly trillion dollar market size, the surge in the number of foreign tourists is inseparable from the "east wind" of visa free policies. China has comprehensively relaxed and optimized its transit visa free policy, the 240 hour transit visa free policy, and visa facilitation measures, significantly reducing the threshold for cross-border travel and making cross-border ice and snow tours a "spontaneous" journey. Guo Chunguang, General Manager of Harbin Tourism International Travel Agency, gave an example that since this ice and snow season, there has been a strong demand for charter flights from Bangkok to Harbin, and the travel agency has received over 3000 Thai tourists. Previously, obtaining a visa was very expensive, but now it's much easier. Buying a plane ticket allows you to travel to China, "said Singaporean tourist Yanti. At present, Chinese snow capped mountains are becoming the "traffic password" in the circle of Southeast Asian tourists. With its unique resources of low latitude and high altitude, Sichuan is becoming a "flat" destination for ice and snow in the hearts of Southeast Asian tourists, which is "closer than Europe and more valuable than Switzerland". At Mount Siguniang, the sea of clouds and the golden mountains are like a dream, and many Southeast Asian hiking and photography enthusiasts come here to check in. The influx of Southeast Asian tourists has put forward higher requirements for the internationalization level of China's ice and snow industry. In the face of peak passenger flow, the Harbin Exit Entry Border Inspection Station has implemented a "24-hour rolling duty+intelligent police dispatch" model to ensure "zero waiting" for customs clearance; The ports of Heihe and Suifenhe have implemented measures such as bilingual police guidance and dynamic adjustment of inspection channels to ensure efficient customs clearance for passengers; Harbin Airport has added four international routes including Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur, with passenger flights increasing from 87 to 118 per week. Inbound tourism is welcoming a good start. According to statistics from the Heilongjiang Exit Entry Border Inspection General Station, from January 1st to 13th, there were 122000 inbound and outbound passengers at Heilongjiang Port, an increase of 37% compared to the same period last year, with Harbin Port's passenger flow increasing by over 30% year-on-year. The combination of the ice and snow season and the Russian New Year holiday is expected to continue the popular trend of "inbound shopping" until the Spring Festival. Observer analysis of immersive appreciation of Chinese cultural heritage shows that a significant trend among Southeast Asian tourists is that their experience of Chinese ice and snow is shifting towards deeper cultural experiences, and "living like locals" is gradually becoming a trend. At Zhaolin Park in Harbin, the Ice Lantern Festival has a history of over 60 years. Thai tourist Siriphon Vanara takes photos with his child in front of ice sculptures and shuttles through an ice maze. She sighed, "The park here is open for free, and we can take a walk after dinner to feel the breath of the city. This is the real way of life." Han Yuanjun analyzed that Southeast Asian tourists have a strong interest in Chinese culture, and the unique folk customs, winter fishing, ice sculpture art, etc. in Northeast China are particularly attractive to them. Harbin tour guide Pan Jie also noticed that the itinerary of Thai tourists is extending from Harbin to Yabuli's professional snow trails, the forest and snow plains of Xuexiang, and the folk villages in Northeast China. The improvement of the soft environment also makes foreign tourists feel comfortable. I really like Xuexiang, it's beautiful here, and I enjoy experiencing the cold feeling here. "Vietnamese tourist Ming Shi, who is visiting Heilongjiang for the first time, said that the English translation and enthusiastic passersby in the scenic area make people feel at ease. Industry insiders believe that there is still room for improvement in China's ice and snow tourism industry in terms of service quality, market regulation, and internationalization of commercial reception facilities. For example, in-depth development can be carried out based on the dining preferences and accommodation habits of Southeast Asian tourists, further improving indoor entertainment facilities and increasing ice and snow consumption scenes. Zhu Zhanchun, Deputy Director of the Harbin Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, said that recently Harbin was awarded the title of "World Excellent City for Ice and Snow Tourism". When the "wind of Erbin" blew out of the country, Chinese ice and snow became a bright spot in the world tourism map and a new bond to enhance friendship and people to people exchanges between China and other countries. (New Society)