On December 11, the International Familiarization and Route Inspection Program (Jilin) of the 2025 China International Travel Mart officially commenced in Yanji, the capital of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province.

Organized and coordinated by the China Cultural Center in The Hague, representatives of Dutch travel agencies traveled to Yanbian and the Changbai Mountain region to participate in a themed inspection program entitled “Ice and Snow Rendezvous.” As an important part of the European tourism market, the Dutch travel agency delegation took an active role in the program, carrying out a systematic and comprehensive assessment of Jilin’s winter tourism resources and its cultural and humanistic value.

The inspection program focused on Jilin’s core winter cultural tourism offerings. The Dutch travel agency representatives visited key cultural landmarks including the Yanbian Museum, the Yanji Dinosaur Museum, and the Chinese Korean Ethnic Folk Village. Through on site visits and immersive experiences, the delegation gained in depth insights into the region’s historical development, ethnic culture, and local traditions.The representatives generally agreed that tourism products integrating natural landscapes, historical heritage, and everyday cultural life align closely with the growing demand among European travelers for in depth cultural experiences.

Beyond Yanbian, the delegation continued its visit to the Changbai Mountain area, inspecting attractions such as Changbai Waterfall, Green Abyss Pond, areas surrounding Tianchi (Heavenly Lake), as well as a range of winter themed experiential programs. The pristine snow covered scenery, well organized tourism services, and strong emphasis on ecological protection left a deep impression on the Dutch travel agency delegation. Several representatives noted that Jilin has a solid foundation for developing high quality inbound winter tourism products and strong potential for further expansion in the European market.

In an interview, Tom, a representative of a Dutch travel agency, stated that Jilin’s ice-and-snow tourism is not merely sightseeing, but a composite experience of “nature + culture.” It combines world class winter landscapes with vivid and authentic local cultural expression, precisely the type of differentiated destination increasingly sought by European travelers. He added that, with the support of the exchange mechanisms facilitated by the China Cultural Center in The Hague, delegation members plan to systematically present their findings to partner travel agencies and clients after returning to the Netherlands, and to explore the development of Jilin themed travel routes for the Dutch and broader European markets.

This “Ice and Snow Rendezvous” inspection program was not only a field study, but also a concrete example of the China Cultural Center in The Hague’s continued efforts to promote professional cultural and tourism exchanges between China and the Netherlands. Through the organization of firsthand experiences and professional evaluations by Dutch travel agency representatives, Jilin’s international visibility and cooperation potential in winter tourism have been further enhanced. Looking ahead, as cultural and tourism exchanges between China and Europe continue to deepen, Jilin is expected to become an important destination for European visitors seeking to explore Northeast China and experience its distinctive ice-and-snow culture.