A snow vehicle on display. [Source: harbin.gov.cn]

The Harbin Cold Zone Exposition kicked off on Jan 5. Harbin, together with seven other cities, will seize this opportunity to establish partnerships. The seven cities include Rovaniemi in Finland, San Candido in Italy, Wiener Neustadt in Austria, Puchon in South Korea, South Taranaki in New Zealand, and Niigata and Yamagata-ken in Japan. The cities are all located in cold zones around the world.

"It was easier to popularize skiing in Harbin than in China's other cities because of the similar climate," said leaders from Yamagata-ken county.

Participants all agreed that they can cooperate in various aspects due to the similar climate. They had discussions on insulation materials and facilities to effectively remove snow on the road. The exposition organizer said that the aim of the exposition is to achieve cooperation and draw on successful experiences from each other.

Harbin will enjoy a promising future if it can take advantage of its climate resources. As one of the coldest places in China, Harbin has established partnerships not only with Asian countries but also with North Europe and North America.