HARBIN—Municipal leaders from winter cities across Europe, Asia, and North America converged at the Harbin Ice and Snow World this week to establish the groundbreaking Harbin Initiative, a collaborative framework for sustainable cold-climate urban development. The Global Mayors Dialogue event witnessed participation from officials representing Magdeburg (Germany), Rovaniemi (Finland), Bucheon (South Korea), Edmonton (Canada), Chiang Mai (Thailand), Erzurum (Turkey), and Chalandri (Greece).
The initiative outlines four strategic pillars: establishing ecological civilization through sustainable ice-and-snow development, advancing technology-driven innovation in cold-region industries, creating mutual learning frameworks between cities, and modernizing urban governance systems. This cooperative effort signals a paradigm shift in how municipalities approach winter challenges, transforming climatic obstacles into economic opportunities.
Harbin Mayor Wang Hesheng showcased his city’s credentials as China’s ice-and-snow sports birthplace and international winter tourism destination, highlighting the 27th Harbin Ice and Snow World—currently the world’s largest winter-themed park—alongside the Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo and public ice parks.
International participants shared transformative winter strategies. Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack described how his city reframes winter as “something to embrace rather than endure,” using festivals and sporting events as economic catalysts. Rovaniemi officials, representing Santa Claus’s official hometown, detailed how extended snow seasons become tourism assets through enhanced visitor experiences and ski infrastructure.
Erzurum Vice-Mayor Zafer Aynalı demonstrated municipal management of ski centers located mere minutes from urban centers and airports, while Magdeburg representatives expressed interest in cross-sector collaboration extending beyond tourism to pharmaceuticals, technology, and construction.
The event featured hands-on cultural immersion as delegates carved the dialogue’s logo into ice blocks within the specially designated sculpture zone, symbolizing their commitment to shared winter prosperity. Guided by China’s State Council Information Office and jointly hosted by Heilongjiang provincial and Harbin municipal governments, the dialogue exemplifies China’s growing role in facilitating global urban development exchanges.