Tourists line up to buy steamed buns at a morning market in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Jan 28. LIU YANG/XINHUA

Zhang Jiajia felt like she was flying as she glided down a 521-meter-long ice slide, her one-minute experience making the wait in line for over an hour worthwhile.

"It's incredibly thrilling, and my heart soared with me," said Zhang, a tourist from East China's Zhejiang province, after trying the Super Ice Slide at Harbin Ice and Snow World in Heilongjiang province.

Harbin, one of China's coldest cities, emerged as the nation's most popular tourist spot early last year, followed by Tianshui in Gansu province, Altay in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and Shanxi province.

The breathtaking landscape, exhilarating ice and snow sports programs, and an inviting atmosphere — which included offering free rides, rolling out carpets on icy streets and free frozen pears for visitors — made the "ice city" a social media sensation and a top winter tourism destination.

Official statistics show that during the last snow season, Harbin received over 87 million visits, a 300 percent increase year-on-year, and generated 124.8 billion yuan ($17 billion) in tourism revenue, up 500 percent.