The Embrace Ice & Snow – Jilin Press Tour participants pose for a group photo. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

The Embrace Ice & Snow – Jilin Press Tour, hosted by the Jilin Province Department of Culture and Tourism, began in Changchun on Dec 17, with 20 international journalists and digital creators from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Turkiye, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, and Indonesia joining the opening-day program and exploring Jilin's blend of winter tourism and cultural heritage.

Journalists scan ginseng products. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

The group visited the West Beijing Street Historical and Cultural Block (Chunjingxi) in Changchun, where they sampled Jilin specialties such as ginseng and deer antlers, and experienced the traditional art of fish-skin painting.

Turkish journalist Balci Onurcan said it was his first time seeing real ginseng after learning about it for years through media reports.

American content creator Yu Zhongmei (Chinese name) completed her first fish-skin painting under the guidance of heritage inheritor Xu Cui, praising the craft's delicacy and beauty. At an art museum, the First Jilin Calligraphy and Painting Masters Exhibition featured contemporary and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) works.

"Xuebing Monkey" interacts with the tour members. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

In the evening, the group visited Changchun Zoological and Botanical Garden, where they interacted with the viral "Xuebing Monkey" (a costumed monkey character at Changchun Zoological and Botanical Garden that has gone viral on social media) and watched an upgraded Journey to the West performance, offering a playful glimpse into Jilin's winter tourism scene.