Tourists play at a ski resort in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Dec. 8, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

Tourists and winter sports enthusiasts are swarming to Xinjiang, a wonderland of ice and snow.

URUMQI, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Winter sports enthusiasts can now feast on hotpot while skiing in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The popular spicy Chinese dish is now being served at the ice and snow festival of hotpot, part of the regional winter tourism celebrations, in Urumqi's Baiyun Ski Resort.

"What a meal of ice and fire," said Xu Xu, a visitor from Sichuan Province -- a region known for its spicy hotpot. "It's my first time to have it in the ice and snow. It feels wonderful."

People take part in a carnival at a skiing field on Jiangjun Mountain in Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Nov. 27, 2019. The 14th Xinjiang Winter Tourism Trade Fair opened here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Sadat)

As the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games are fast approaching, Xinjiang, having abundant ice and snow resources, has also seized the opportunity to promote winter tourism in recent years.

A variety of activities, including ice sculpture exhibitions, snow marathons and football matches on ice now beckon tourists to discover the delights of winter in Xinjiang.

More distinctive souvenirs have also been developed to cater to the needs of tourists.

"Products with ethnic features are great choices for souvenirs and gifts," said Gao Jie, a visitor to the just-concluded Xinjiang winter tourism trade fair, which presented over 1,000 award-winning souvenirs.

The frosty scenery at Tekes River national wetland park in Zhaosu County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Dec. 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

"I used to purchase fruits and snacks as souvenirs, but now I have more options," said Gao, holding a painted pottery.

To further boost winter tourism, a total of 41 preferential policies have been rolled out in 11 cities in the region, including discounts for scenic spots and plane tickets.

The number of tourists to Xinjiang during winter has risen significantly thanks to these efforts. Before 2006, only about 900,000 tourists visited the region during winter each year, and the figure surged to more than 30 million in 2018.

In the first 10 months of 2019, Xinjiang received a record 201.9 million tourists, up 42.62 percent year on year. ■