Though spring approaches, the allure of Heilongjiang's winter remains undiminished. Amidst the snow-blanketed forests of Yichun, 79-year-old Zhang Daoting lifts his voice once more in the resonant forest chant. Once, these chants accompanied truckloads of timber; today, they greet waves of tourists.
Ice-snow tourism now contributes 18% to Yichun's total GDP. The era of the "timber economy" is gone, making way for a vibrant new chapter of the ice-snow economy.
