Harbin, the capital city of China's northernmost Heilongjiang province, has joined the coveted ranks of the 10 most popular ski destinations in China.
 
That's according to the information provided by China's online travel service provider Ctrip.
 
Ctrip data shows that the number of "skiing" ticket orders booked on the platform for the end of the year increased by 113 percent compared to the previous five days and nearly doubled compared to the same period last year.
 
The reservation volume of "skiing" themed group tours increased by about 70 percent compared to the previous five days, and nearly 30 percent compared to the same period last year.
 
The 10 most popular skiing destination cities booked for the end of the year are Zhangjiakou, Harbin, Baoding, Jinzhong, Beijing, Huzhou, Aba, Enshi, Shenyang, and Xuzhou.
 
Meanwhile, the 10 cities with the resources for skiers are Baoding, Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Shanghai, Chengdu, Wuhan, Shenyang, Hangzhou, and Wenzhou.
 
According to the official managing Ctrip's theme tour business, skiing has moved from a niche sport to a popular daily activity in China.
 
Entry-level skiers and experts alike are showing an increasing demand for ski coaches and advanced teaching, and they have higher requirements in terms of the equipment they expect ski resorts to provide.
 
Ski resorts in Heilongjiang, Xinjiang and even abroad have become popular choices for big-spending Chinese tourists.