❄️ **Harbin Takes Center Stage!** As the 9th Asian Winter Games kick off, Harbin City in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province is buzzing with excitement. This winter wonderland isn’t just about thrilling sports—it's also driving a major surge in tourism and business activity. 🏂✨
Gao Fei, head of a flagship merchandise store at the Games, shared some hot news with CMG. With over 1,700 products on sale, he revealed that sales for certain items have skyrocketed five to six times compared to previous events! Many popular items are flying off the shelves in record time. 🛍️🔥
Travel enthusiasts are flocking to Harbin in droves. According to Ctrip, a leading Chinese online travel agency, there’s been a whopping 388% increase in Harbin-related tourism packages during the Games. Inbound travel orders to Harbin have also surged by 157%, attracting visitors from Russia, the U.S., Hungary, South Korea, and Thailand. 🌍✈️
This boom isn't just a winter fling. Since the start of the year, China’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) has risen by 0.5% year-on-year in January, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Meanwhile, the Producer Price Index (PPI) saw a slight dip of 0.2% month-on-month, mainly due to the Spring Festival holiday keeping industrial production at a seasonal low. 🏭📉
NBS chief statistician Dong Lijuan explained that the CPI growth was driven by higher prices in services and food during the Spring Festival, along with a rebound in gasoline prices. 🚗💡
With the Asian Winter Games lighting up Harbin, China’s economy is off to a strong start in 2025, blending sports, tourism, and consumer enthusiasm into a winning combination! 🥇📈
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
