Tourism focus

The capital city of Harbin has turned itself into a tourist destination by taking advantage of its culture, history and clean environment.

Last year, for the first time, the number of inbound and outbound passengers at Harbin Taiping International Airport exceeded 20 million, the most of any Northeastern China airport.

The city received 85.67 million domestic and foreign tourists throughout the year, with tourism revenue hitting 137.6 billion yuan, a 16.9 percent year-on-year increase.

Huang Zuxiang, chairman of Dongjian Group, started his business in 1988 and created a well-known brand of tower cranes that has become popular in countries such as Russia.

He has also invested in the Volga Manor theme park in Harbin which has Russian-style architecture. It is a tribute to his fondness for Harbin's culture and history and one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.

"During the past decade, we were confronted with different difficulties, including policies, shortage of funds and professionals, but I never gave up," he said. "I have a firm determination to achieve better development in the tourism and culture industry."

Huang added that favorable policies, such as financial support and building of infrastructure, will help in the rapid development of the tourism industry.