As the main torch of the Asian Winter Games, “Snow Rhyme Lilac,” was lit once again, the Global Mayors Dialogue · Harbin officially opened on January 6. City leaders from diverse countries and cultural backgrounds convened in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, to promote mutual learning among civilizations through dialogue and exchange.
Previously held in nine cities worldwide, the Global Mayors Dialogue this time focused on ice and snow. The main forum centered on building a modern ice-and-snow economy system, leveraging ice-and-snow technologies to empower industrial upgrading, and shaping a new framework for intercity cooperation and civilizational exchange. Participants jointly issued an initiative calling to “share ice-and-snow opportunities and promote urban development together.”
Harbin Mayor Wang Hesheng noted that the city has transformed the ice and snow bestowed by nature into tourism products—and further into “gold and silver mountains.” This experience resonated strongly with several foreign mayors. Rovaniemi, Finland, like Harbin, is a cold-region city. Heikki Kontiosalo, Deputy Speaker of the Rovaniemi City Council, remarked that the two cities have much to learn from each other.
Sören Kroll, Deputy Mayor of Magdeburg, Germany, said he hopes to use this dialogue as an opportunity to integrate ice-and-snow elements into Magdeburg’s own tourism strategy.
Unlike traditional “sit-down discussions,” this event extended conversations into the city itself. Mayors left the conference hall to explore Harbin’s streets and ice-and-snow attractions, experiencing firsthand how the city cultivates vitality amid severe cold. At an ice sculpture workshop, some mayors picked up ice-carving tools for the first time, gaining a close-up appreciation of the precision and difficulty of the craft. Andrew Knack, Mayor of Edmonton, Canada, spoke candidly about being deeply impressed by the exquisite skills embodied in the ice sculptures.
Building ice-and-snow IPs was a core topic of the dialogue. As mayors visited Harbin’s landmark sites, they observed the city’s innovative practices in turning extreme cold into opportunity through its ice-and-snow economy. During the “Walk-and-Read Harbin” study tour, Central Street became the stop where mayors lingered the longest. The century-old street, lined with eclectic international architecture, not only bears witness to the city’s history but also serves as a key platform for cultural-tourism integration. Christina Mechalar, Deputy Mayor of Chalandri, Greece, showed strong interest, paying particular attention to how cultural heritage is transformed into tourism products.
At the ice dragon boat event, Deputy Mayor Sören Kroll led a team onto the ice, joking that Magdeburg also has a dragon boat tradition—except that “the river never freezes.” Zafer Aynalı, Deputy Mayor of Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality, Türkiye, described the experience as “perfect,” noting that ice and snow are not merely natural phenomena but emotional bonds connecting cities and people.
From conference halls to city streets, from dialogue to hands-on experience, the Global Mayors Dialogue conveyed a clear message: cold-region cities are not on the margins of development, and ice and snow are not constraints but resources that can be redefined. Harbin’s practice demonstrates that even under severe cold, openness, cooperation, and opportunity can flourish.
Reporter’s Reflections
Ice and Snow Connect the World
As the event drew to a close, one message stood out: in the past, people came to know Harbin through ice and snow; today, the world is seeing China through Harbin—real, diverse, and full of possibilities. “Ice and snow connect the world” is no longer just a slogan; it is becoming a city language that can be understood, experienced, and shared.
