BEIJING -- A village in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province was blanketed in thick winter snow. Despite freezing temperatures that can plummet to minus 20 degrees Celsius or even lower, this once sleepy settlement now draws large numbers of winter tourists from across the country.

This village, popularly known as "Snow Village," has been transformed from a commercial forest settlement into a vibrant tourism destination via China's rural vitalization drive.

"Thanks to the rural vitalization strategy, our village has become a popular tourism destination, attracting visitors all year round," said Wang Xindan, the village's publicity official. In recent years, the village has also won several honors, including being named one of "China's top 10 most beautiful villages."

China's rural vitalization strategy, launched at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2017, aims to achieve basic modernization of agriculture and rural areas by 2035.