Harbin is announced as one of the top 10 most influential tourism cities in China at the 2019 China Tourism Industry Development Annual Conference in Beijing on Jan 23. [Photo/dbw.cn]

The city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province made it onto the top 10 list of “most influential” tourist destinations in China, at the 2019 China Tourism Industry Development Annual Conference in Beijing, on Jan 23.

The conference was sponsored by China Tourism News Agency under the guidance of China Newspaper Association.

Among the top 10, were a selection of cities, towns, districts, theme parks, and scenic areas popular with domestic tourists.

Other cities on the list included Beijing, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Suzhou, Xi’an, Xiamen, Sanya, and Changsha.

Harbin’s Songbei district also made it onto a top 10 list for districts.

Tourists flock to Harbin, a city in China’s far north near the Russian border, for its rich wetlands, lush forests, ice and snow activities, and rich culture. Indeed, it is one of the few areas of China where European-style buildings are common, and the city is known for its strong Russian influence.

The city’s Songbei district is particularly well known as it plays host to many of the city’s annual ice and snow events, including the Ice and Snow Festival and the Sun Island Snow Sculpture Art Expo. The district is also home to seven top scenic spots, accounting for 13 percent of the top tier-rated scenic areas in the city.