Heilongjiang in northeastern China has a unique geographic location and rich tourism resources, making it a tourist destination for all seasons. Its topography includes snow-capped mountains, forests, wetlands, grassland, a boundary river and a boundary lake. It is rich in both natural and human resources.

Summer Resorts

Springtime in Heilongjiang, when the flowers are in full blossom, is short, but very beautiful. In summer, many places in China are overwhelmingly and uncomfortably hot, but in Heilongjiang the climate is cool and pleasant. In July, China's hottest month, temperatures in the province are between 16 and 23 degrees Centigrade, making Heilongjiang the best place for escaping the heat of summer.

Heilongjiang has the largest forested area in China, covering 190,000 square kilometers and making up 42 percent of the total territory of the province. In areas of primeval forest are Korean pine, white birch and alpine prone pine, as well as over 100 coniferous and broad-leave tree species, forming a combination of trees, shrubs and grass. In summer, visitors have the double pleasure of walking through primeval forests and taking a forest bath. Forest bathing is the latest trend, it being purported to regulate the nerves, alleviate fatigue and raise work efficiency.

For a forest bath, the Wuying National Forest Park in Yichun is the best choice. The park has ten tourist areas, where visitors may take forest trains, lodge in forest bath villas, and view animals and plants. It is China's largest national primeval forest of Korean pine, and has been designated by UNESCO as a member of the World Biosphere Protection Network.

In Yichun, tourists may visit the Dailing bird-watching station, where they can observe a broad scope of bird species, making it an ideal place for bird experts and bird lovers. At Longgu Mountain, known as the "home of dinosaurs," more than 1,400 species of dinosaur fossils have been unearthed, providing important research material on the distribution of dinosaurs and local ecology.

River rafting is for many people synonymous with the Yangtze River, but there are also a number of areas in Heilongjiang perfect for rafting. The Dafeng River is the best choice in terms of water quality and scope for adventure, as well as its scenery of primeval forest, hunting grounds, a deer farm, and ancient temples and tombs. The river is pollution-free and the current is torrential - eminently suitable for river rafting.

Autumn Tour

In autumn, Heilongjiang looks like a Chinese painting in bright colors. Driving along the mountain highway, you enter a world of mountain flowers -- red, yellow, orange, green, and purple. The leaves on birch and oak change their hue, contributing to the five colors that are said to decorate the mountains in autumn.

When touring Heilongjiang in autumn, be sure to go to Qiqihar. Located in the mid-west of the province, it is the home of cranes. Zhalong Nature Reserve, covering 210,000 hectares, is 26 kilometers southeast of the city proper. Within the reserve are low-lying wetlands and numerous lakes and ponds, the natural habitat of water poultry and birds, particularly cranes.

Of the 15 species of cranes in the world, China has nine, and six are found in the Zhalong Nature Reserve. They include the red-crested crane, white-necked crane, alpine-rush feathered crane, gray crane, white crane and white-headed crane. Among them, the red-crested crane is the most famous. Here visitors can also see over a dozen endangered bird species, such as mandarin ducks and egrets. Standing on the bird-watching tower and looking around, one sees a vast body of water, blending with the sky into one color, while cranes and other birds hover over the lake. Here, humankind and nature co-exist harmoniously.

Winter Tour

In winter Heilongjiang is a world of ice and snow. The snow-covered rolling mountains provide particularly memorable scenery.

Heilongjiang is the northernmost province of China, and its winter season lasts four months. The province has many mountains, 100 of which whose altitude is 1,000 meters above sea level or higher. Heilongjiang people therefore have a wide scope of venues for their winter sports.

Heilongjiang has held three international ski festivals, making it the first province in China to have staged such events. The province has nearly 40 skiing sites. The Yabuli Skiing Holiday Resort, only 190 kilometers from provincial capital Harbin, and where the Third Winter Asian Games and two sessions of winter national games were held, is the best. It has five ski runs recognized by the International Skiing Federation, seven tourist ski runs, and the Windmill Mountain Villa. It also has easy access and convenient transportation facilities. It now ranks as one of the world's ten major skiing holiday resorts.

The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is definitely worth mentioning. So far, 17 international ice and snow festivals and 27 ice lantern shows have been held in Harbin. In the winter of 2000, Heilongjiang received 12 million tourists, including some visitors from southern China.

By SUN JIAJU & YU JIE