"Moreover, I hope that following this opportunity, cultural and tourism activities in the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang can be linked together, which will be very encouraging for us in Harbin," he added.

Yao Lijun, a successful entrepreneur who was born in Harbin, said he hoped his hometown will attract more investments and develop further after the Games.

"I felt quite honored to become a torchbearer for the Games," said Yao, president of Ningbo Konfoong Materials International Co in Zhejiang province.

"I hope that entrepreneurs from all over the world can come to Heilongjiang to invest and make my hometown better."

The closing ceremony was held at Daoli district's Snowman Square, a popular cultural and tourism landmark.

The Games, which will open on Friday and run through Feb 14, will see the largest representation of Asian countries and regions in history, with 34 confirming participation.