Leaving the magnificent Ningbo International Speedpark, we are heading to the Meishan Bay Ice and Snow World, another highlight of the “Rising Sun” scenic route of Beilun.
Meishan Bay Ice and Snow World is located in the northern section of the Rising Sun line. Built like a castle covered by white snow, the structure sits in the provincial-level Meishan Bay Resort Area and neighbors China Port Museum and Meishan Bay Beach Park. With an area of 36,000 square meters, Meishan Bay Ice and Snow World is the largest indoor ice sculpture theme park in China. Ice and snow is the theme park’s main characteristic, and it integrates the snow element with tourism by building three feature venues, namely International Ice Sculpture Art Hall, Winter Olympic Sports Experience Hall and the Snow Town. The venues have ancillary facilities, such as the tourist service center and large parking lots, as well as a snow themed commercial food street. Meishan Bay Ice and Snow World has now become a comprehensive theme park integrating the art of ice sculpture, winter Olympic sports, academic researches and studies, winter tourism and international communication, offering marvelous experience for visitors.
Liang Xiangdong, president of Ningbo Ice and Snow Culture Tourism Development Co., Ltd., is the founder of this fancy facility. In 2021, he won the Craftsmanship Award of the “Small Changes, Big Upgrades” Tourism Practice Cases of the Year of Zhejiang Province, and became an iconic figure in local tourism business.
Liang had long been committed to the development and management of such theme parks before he decided to build Meishan Bay Ice and Snow World, the first ice-and-snow theme park in Ningbo City, in 2019. He focused on making small changes to upgrade the theme park and came up with the idea of “diverse colors”, which made the originally pure white park more colorful and attractive. Tourists here can enjoy both the snow scenes and quality services and experience brought by such small changes.
The Ice and Snow Food Street was established in in 2019. According to plans, it would encompass supermarkets and souvenir stores, provide food services targeting both tour groups and individuals, and accommodate 22 shops selling food and snacks that are famous in different regions throughout China. In 2021, Liang made it clear that the food street’s upgrade should demonstrate the feature of “diverse colors”, so as to build the most fashionable and vibrant food area at the lowest cost in this coastal food town. After renovation, the food street became cleaner, commodities were diversified, and the environment and vibe perfectly matched the style of a food town, making it an attractive integral part of the Meishan Bay Ice and Snow World.
Good views and good food drew even more tourists, and the number of tourists to the scenic area in a single day during the summer tourist season has reached as high as 15,000. The food street connects Meishan Bay Beach Park, Meishan Bay Ice and Snow World and China Port Museum, boosting consumption and adding dynamic to this area.
While the tourism industry faces downward pressure brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and international tensions, Liang and his Meishan Bay Ice and Snow World injected an impetus to the industrial development of Beilun District of Ningbo. The successful case offers a good example for the renovation of tourist attractions to make upgrades and innovations. At present, Meishan Bay Ice and Snow World is striving to build itself into a national 3A scenic zone.
Liang is one of the many Chinese people who relentlessly strive for progress through reform, and Meishan Bay Ice and Snow World embodies their enthusiasm for the craftsmanship spirit. Though the Beilun District has met setbacks and frustrations in development over the past decades, there are still a lot of people who are committed to innovation and keep advancing. They seize the opportunities of the times, overcome difficulties, follow the trend and play a pioneering role in helping Beilun gain an edge in global development.
While the fancy Meishan Bay Ice and Snow World gives visitors great travelling experience, the craftsmanship spirit demonstrated by Liang is admirable.
Our next destination is Ziwei’ao (Crape Myrtle Flatland) in Guoju of Beilun District.
China Report ASEAN 