Tourists enjoy their wintertime at Yabuli Ski Resort on Jan 15. XIE JIANFEI/XINHUA

Village beneficiaries

Qingshan Village, located just a stone's throw from Yabuli Ski Resort, boasts panoramic views of Guokui Mountain. Home to over 300 families, more than 120 households now rely on tourism-related businesses. The village's thriving winter tourism industry has raised the average annual income per resident to 35,000 yuan ($4,805).

In Qingshan, the homestays share a common characteristic: All the ingredients are sourced directly from the surrounding mountains. Wild mushrooms, fungus, vegetables and free-range poultry — chickens, ducks and geese — are culinary favorites, prepared in traditional ways that preserve the authentic flavors of the region.

Song Wenli, 45, has benefited from the transformation of Yabuli. Born and raised in the area, she was a farmer before noticing the influx of tourists as the resort area developed.

In 2012, her family opened a restaurant specializing in Northeast China's famed iron pot stews and other local dishes. The restaurant, housed in Song's two-story home, has a dining area in the front, while her living quarters are in the back.

In recent years, business has flourished. This Spring Festival, the restaurant operated virtually nonstop, with customers streaming in throughout the day. "We've had no rest," Song said. "Business has been so busy, we've barely had time to pause."

She said the number of visitors from southern China has increased in recent years. "They love the Northeast specialties. After eating, they even try speaking our dialect to compliment our food."

Many of the southern guests, she said, also delight in the snow. "Especially the children. They run straight into the thick snow and roll around," she said.

Song said it was different from her childhood. Back then, the area was remote, and getting from what is now the Yabuli Ski Resort to the nearest town required hours of travel by bicycle, on foot, or by ox cart.

"Now, it's only a 10-minute drive to the town," she said. "After the high-speed rail opened, it takes just over an hour to reach Harbin. It's so convenient."

Qingshan is now home to more than 100 homestays. Many of the village's residents, once dependent on farming, have turned to running accommodations and restaurants, benefiting from the boom in ski tourism. "Our income has definitely gone up," Song said.

Last year, Qingshan began a major overhaul in preparation for the Games. Fences along the roads were repainted, courtyards were decorated, streets were cleared of trash, and red lanterns were hung along the streets, giving the entire village a festive atmosphere.

"Everything, from the fences to the shop signs, has been provided by the government. The environment here has really improved," said Song.

After the pond skimming event, a local celebration to mark the end of the ski season, Song and other restaurant and homestay owners will finally get a well-deserved break. The pond skimming celebration draws skiing enthusiasts from across the region, who gather in colorful attire to mark the close of the season and celebrate the anticipation of the next one.