The 2025-2026 winter tourism season officially kicked off on Saturday in Arxan, Hinggan League, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, marking the start of a six-month celebration that includes the 20th Arxan Ice and Snow Festival.

The launch followed a winter tourism news conference in the city on Friday, which unveiled five winter activities. The core offering is a "1+6" model of winter routes, integrating snow activities with the city's famous hot springs.

Home to just 30,000 residents, Arxan has become a surprising tourism success story. Official data shows that from January to October, the city received over 6.14 million tourist visits, generating 7.68 billion yuan ($1 billion) in revenue. The figure is equivalent to hosting more than 200 times its population.