Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Zhang Xiaomi) news: Red, green, orange-yellow... On January 1st, colorful tents were scattered across the ice surface of the Sea Devil City Scenic Area in Fuhai County. The ice fishing project, which officially opened in the scenic area that day, attracted tourists to come and experience the fun of ice fishing.

Photo taken on January 1st shows the site where tents have been set up for ice fishing tourists at the Sea Devil City Scenic Area in Fuhai County. Photo by Chao Weijun.

"It was so much fun ice fishing today. The tent was so warm that I didn't feel cold at all. I'm coming back tomorrow!" said Zheng Hao, a tourist from Altay City, smiling. He was intrigued after seeing the ice fishing event online and came here specifically to experience it during the New Year's Day holiday.

On New Year's Day, more than 80 people came to experience ice fishing. Zhou Zhenhua, the person in charge of the scenic area, introduced that currently, the scenic area has set up 25 tents in the exclusive ice - fishing area. Later, the number of tents will gradually increase to 100 according to the number of tourists, and all of them will be equipped with heating stoves, fishing gear and other supplies. The staff will drill ice holes on the ice surface in advance, and hot ice - side hot pots can also be reserved. From January 1st to 3rd, the scenic area also launched a discounted ice - fishing package.

Photo taken on January 1st shows a tourists is getting ready to experience ice fishing inside a tent at the Sea Devil City Scenic Area in Fuhai County. Photo taken by Chao Weijun.

In addition, to ensure safety, the scenic area strictly prohibits self - driving vehicles from going onto the ice. Tourists need to transfer to the scenic area's motorcycles or horse - drawn sleds to reach the fishing spots. If tourists bring their own tents, they need to set them up in the designated areaas guided by the staff.

At the ice floating experience area by the reservoir in Aweitan Town, Altay City, tourists wearing insulated life jackets relax in the icy water, enjoying the unique thrill of ice floating.

"Even non-swimmers can float easily—it's a fun and novel experience," said Cheng Hou, manager of Altay City’s Polar Ice Floating Tourism Information Studio. During the New Year holiday, all 16 staff members worked daily in six shifts, with evening’s “blue hour” being the most popular. Each session accommodated 15 to 20 guests, and bookings from January 1 to 5 are fully booked.

Tourists experience ice floating. Photo by Cheng Hou.

Cheng Hou previously worked on ice floating projects in Russia. Believing Xinjiang ideal for skiing, he saw potential in developing unique attractions to enhance tourism. Last summer, he arrived in Xinjiang to select sites and train staff. The project launched on November 24 that year.

Since the operation began, two questions have stood out: How can non-swimmers float on the water? And is it cold to float after breaking ice in winter? Cheng Hou explained that custom-made life jackets provide both buoyancy and insulation, so tourists stay warm.

On-site, there is full professional equipment, along with hot tea, snacks, and rest areas. Professional lifeguards, safety officers, and drones are also available—drones help capture memorable moments.

"This winter in Altay, beyond classic activities like alpine skiing and hot-air balloon tours, new offerings such as paragliding, ice fishing, snowmobiling, ice-themed parks, and ice floating give travelers more choices for snow and ice experiences," said Xie Yinyin from the Policy, Regulations, Industry Promotion and Publicity Section of Altay Prefecture’s Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism.

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