finally reached the country's frozen northeast and pitched his tent on a patch of snow-blanketed grassland. For Zhu, a night spent camping at minus 30 degrees Celsius, a stark contrast to the lush, green campsites he was accustomed to, unlocked an exhilarating new level of challenge and adventure. "I have tried all kinds of camping scenarios in Guangdong, but the snow is something we just don't have. I drove for six days only for this moment," said Zhu, while adjusting a gas stove inside his tent, which had raised the indoor temperature to a comfortable level, defying the extreme cold outside.

Zhu is among thousands of enthusiasts who have flocked to Hala village in the Meilisi Daur Ethnic District of Qiqihar, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, for the 4th Northeast Camping Carnival. Running from Jan. 12 to 18, the event has this year seen the number of pitched tents exceed 1,000 for the first time, transforming the quiet, ice-sealed ethnic village into a vibrant hub for outdoor enthusiasts. The view of such a vast array of tents blossoming like spring buds across the silver plains showcases a significant shift in China's winter tourism. What was once a season for locals to "hibernate," has become a golden period for economic vitality, driven by the integration of ice-and-snow sports, culture and outdoor leisure.

The surging popularity of winter camping has, notably, created new opportunities for domestic outdoor equipment manufacturers, who are also present at the carnival, which is a golden chance for them to engage with users and test products in such extreme conditions. Han Wei, founder of the outdoor brand Yeying based in southwest China's Sichuan Province, sees the northern market as a new frontier. "As a brand from the south, we initially found the northern environment challenging. Last year, we were unprepared for the cold, but this year we brought equipment featuring tech fabrics designed specifically to prevent condensation inside the tents, which is often considered a major headache for winter campers," Han said. (Xinhua/Zhang Yue)