Snow brings smiles to the chilly north (2)

"It snowed so heavily this year the ski resorts didn't need artificial snow at all, this may lower the price and attract more visitors," he said.

Feng Chunmiao, a public relations manager from Shangri-la Hotel in Changchun, capital of Jilin, said more tourists are flocking to the north to ski. The luxury hotel has a resort compound on Changbai Mountain, which provides top-level food and accommodation, sightseeing, skiing and even a spa service.

"The -30 C temperatures can keep all people at home, but we did see a rising inflow of customers in the past month," Feng said.

With tourists flocking to cold spots, locals are choosing to go south for the holidays. There is a trend among seniors in the region to immigrate to the south to avoid the winter, and fly back north for the summer.

Wang Huan, a tourism veteran from Shenyang Overseas International Travel Service, said the current season was the golden time for the industry in the region.

"Local people fly to the south or even go abroad for vacation. At the same time, people from the south come here to enjoy the snow and ice. It is a key time for us," Wang said.

As for the agriculture, local farmers appear rather optimistic about the coming year because the frequent snowfall will kill most insects and ensure abundant water for the crops next spring.

Okong'o said he was planning to travel after the final exam next month and go skiing. "I really enjoy the feeling of flying over the snow," he said. "Only the very rich in my hometown can ski in some shopping mall."

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