FOR those who are tired of Shenzhen’s warm weather and want a taste of winter, there are plenty of choices. Some scenic spots take on a completely different look in winter. Take a look at these places and decide whether they are your next destination.

Northeast China

If you like fishing in winter, Northeast China is the place for you.

Local fishermen conduct traditional rites before penetrating the ice surface of Chagan Lake, which is located on the Qian Gorlos Prairie near Songhua River in Jilin Province. The fishermen are also known for singing folk songs while they work.

Tourists can fish against the backdrop of the flourishing snow-covered willows on Wusong Island in Jilin Province.

The aviation expo park in Shenyang, with its variety of planes, is also a popular destination. The production line of Mazda cars in Changchun is also open to tourists.

Accommodation: Star hotels offer a reasonable price in early winter.

Cuisine: Roast duck in Shenyang, stewed chicken with ginseng in Changchun and dumpling in Harbin.

Emei Mountain

One of the sacred Buddhist mountains in China, Emei Mountain in western Sichuan Province is prone to snowfall in winter that covers its evergreen trees.

Cable cars from Jieyin Temple, with an altitude of 2,500 meters, can take tourists directly to the 3,077-meter-high Golden Summit of the mountain, which is home to four great spectacles.

The four great spectacles are the sunrise, the sea of clouds, the sunset and the light of Buddha. Among them, the light of Buddha is a special physical phenomenon. When the sun projects the shadow of the viewer on the clouds in front of him or her, ice crystals and tiny drops of water in the clouds may reflect the light to form a rainbow around the shadow. Only in few places with appropriate sync of light, landscape and clouds could the halo be enjoyed.

The mountain is also home to the largest cluster of hot springs in western China.

The area is also famous for its cuisine such as barbecue, boiled fish and fried lobster.

Transport: Fly to Chengdu, Sichuan Province, from Shenzhen International Airport. Shuttle buses run from Chengdu to Emei every day.

Accommodation: On the Golden Summit, tourists can choose to live in temples or cheap hostels. Jingding Hotel is better equipped but more expensive.

Shangri-La

The 20 mountains in Yunnan’s Shangri-La become a winter wonderland every year. The longest cable car journey in Asia can transport tourists to the summit of Shika Mountain, where they can behold the various shapes of surrounding peaks.

If you prefer a lazy kind of holiday, bathing in hot springs in Tianshengqiao surrounded by snow mountains is the best idea.

Transport: You can choose to fly to Shangri-La from Shenzhen International Airport directly or fly to Kunming and transfer to flights connecting Kunming and Shangri-La. The Shika Mountain resort is 7.34 kilometers away from Shangri-La County and 4.5 kilometers away from Shangri-La Airport.

Accommodation: There are abundant choices of hotel in Shangri-La. Winter is the slack season.

Cuisine: Tibetan-style food.

(Li Hao)