With blue skies and soaring cranes in summer, and crane dances on snowy plains in winter, Qiqihar City, known as the "Crane City," successfully created the parent-child tourism brand "Making Friends with Little Cranes" in 2016. Adhering to the philosophy and goal of expanding product breadth, deepening brand depth, and continuously cultivating the parent-child tourism market, it launched another winter camp with a "study tour" theme in early 2018. This brand event adopts an international perspective, enriches its study tour content, and creates a "dual-impact effect" through the high-profile promotion of both the "all-star child cast" and the "traffic-driving" study tour experience. It has become a communication highlight in the province’s tourism marketing, enabling Qiqihar’s parent-child brand to continuously amplify its "upgrade effect" and claim a leading position in the parent-child tourism industry across the province and even nationwide. A "roadside library" covering knowledge in multiple fields such as nature, society, history, culture, industry, and sports is slowly unfolding.
On February 2, the "2018 'Making Friends with Little Cranes' Qiqihar Winter Camp," hosted by the Qiqihar Municipal People's Government, and organized by the Qiqihar Tourism Development Commission, the Heilongjiang Zhalong National Nature Reserve Administration, and CYTS Linkage PR Consulting Co., Ltd., came to a brilliant close. A closing ceremony was held that evening in Qiqihar City. Young campers from China, the United States, Ukraine, Romania, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and other countries happily shared and praised the beautiful scenery and rewarding experiences of their study tour journey.
Group photo of young campers and parents from the 2018 "Making Friends with Little Cranes" Qiqihar Parent-Child Winter Camp
This brand event, themed around "study tours," features an "all-star child cast" and has seen a surge in communication heat through innovative marketing. At the same time, it actively promotes several marketing events such as "Making Friends with Little Cranes," "Riding the High-Speed Rail to Crane City," and "Dear Meilisi, Lovely You," deepening the meaning of travel through "learning from playing." Amid the continuous shift between the "hot resources" of summer camps and the "cold resources" of winter camps, Qiqihar’s parent-child brand continues to amplify its "upgrade effect," establishing a leading position in the parent-child tourism industry across Heilongjiang Province and even the whole country.
Anna from Romania was excited to see Qiqi, the tourism mascot of Qiqihar City, for the first time
Going Beyond Heilongjiang, Embracing International Flair
Since its launch in 2016, the "Making Friends with Little Cranes" winter and summer camp brand has steadily increased its visibility in China’s parent-child tourism market. When the winter camp recruitment notice was issued in early 2018, it attracted high attention and active participation from many well-known child stars. Xie Na, who sang "Wings of Song" on Jiangsu TV, and her sister Anna signed up early, excitedly saying on the plane, "Cute little cranes, here I come!" At the beginning of the trip, Masha, a young model from Ukraine, happily said, "I’ve never seen so much snow before. Walking and driving on the ice, turning it into a castle—it’s so beautiful!"
Young campers experience the unique architecture of the Harbin Grand Theater
Xie Na from the United States sings a Chinese song inside the Grand Theater
This event features an "all-star child cast" for the first time, and the "traffic-driving" effect of both its promotion and the study tour experience created a "dual-impact effect," generating a communication highlight in the province’s tourism marketing. Coming from screens into nature, the young campers added rich appeal and strong expressiveness to the event. Their high visibility sparked public discussion, creating a communication effect where "I’m a little star, and I endorse parent-child tourism." Children of different nationalities, languages, and skin colors enjoyed the same happiness on the same journey. The participation of international child stars elevated the international appeal of the event, helping the "Making Friends with Little Cranes" parent-child brand go beyond Heilongjiang and embrace international flair.
Experiencing the ice slide in the Ice and Snow World
Domestic mainstream media with keen senses paid high attention to this event. In addition to comprehensive coverage by key domestic media, Travel Satellite TV provided full reporting, while major domestic video platforms such as Youku, iQiyi, and Tencent gave it prominent exposure. The communication heat was unprecedented, and foreign children will share their delightful experiences through their own platforms, helping Qiqihar attract more fans.
Young campers learn to make dumplings
Enjoying Scenery and Listening to Stories, From Play to Study
Every journey is a vivid story. Since its opening in Harbin on January 29, this winter camp has created multiple marketing events, telling the story of its study tour features in a narrative form. Taking the high-speed rail from Harbin to Qiqihar to visit the "Crane City," the Qiqihar Museum "narrates" a long-lasting historical and cultural story, while Longsha Safari Park "introduces" its adorable animal family. Deng Sichen, a young actor invited to shoot Mango Entertainment’s "Don’t Be So Proud," loved the Siberian tiger family the most and even named a newborn tiger cub "Qifu": "I hope it can bring blessings and good fortune to the people of Qiqihar!"
Young campers take the Crane City high-speed rail to Qiqihar
Five Siberian tiger cubs at Longsha Safari Park
Young campers have close contact with a leopard
As the city with the strongest ice hockey atmosphere in China and the "Best Ice Hockey City in Asia," Qiqihar carefully planned the marketing event "Ice Hockey, It’s Not What You Thought" during this winter camp, inviting young campers to watch an ice hockey match. They excitedly cheered for their favorite teams. Jia Yuanxi, who loves stage plays, said, "This was a great match, I really want to join them!"
Watching an ice hockey match at the Qiqihar Ice Crane Ice Hockey Club
Young campers cheer for the athletes
Young campers take a group photo with ice hockey players
"Attention, at ease!" In the "This Equipment Can Sing" marketing event held at the Nianzishan Military Culture Park, young campers transformed into little soldiers. Later, in the "Watch Me Shine on the Snow" marketing event at the Nianzishan Ski Resort, they became little athletes. Kong Tianci, who participated in the print ad "Nike Football," said, "I love this kind of novel journey. Instead of burying myself in books, it gets my whole body moving."
Young campers visit the Nianzishan Military Culture Park
Young campers seriously learning to salute
Young campers experience exciting skiing at the Aoyue Nianzishan International Ski Resort
Young campers from multiple countries experience skiing for the first time
A group of red-crowned cranes flapped their wings and took off, drawing the campers’ gazes into the deep blue sky. At the world’s only red-crowned crane winter habitat in Qiqihar’s Zhalong Wetland, campers competed to experience "Making Friends with Little Cranes." Zhang Chenxuan, who has participated in many travel shoots, said, "I took a lot of amazing photos of watching cranes in the snow this time. My little crane friends ‘starred’ with me." Visiting the beautiful Meilisi Lake and meeting adorable Daur teachers, campers experienced unique winter activities such as ice hockey and "Taoli sticks" during the "Dear Meilisi, Lovely You" marketing event held on the same day.
Experience the traditional Daur sport of hockey
Campers and Daur children try out "Tao Li Bang" together
Enjoying the snow and connecting with nature, the young stars gained a wealth of knowledge on this fun-filled journey. Multiple marketing events shared unforgettable travel stories, elevating the meaning of travel from “playing” to “learning,” highlighting the profound essence of educational tourism.
Campers get up close with red-crowned cranes at the Zhalong National Nature Reserve in Heilongjiang
Campers experience crane watching in the snow
Winter and summer camps seamlessly transform, while the family travel brand is further upgraded
Focusing on the family tourism market and tapping into local tourism resources, Qiqihar launched the winter–summer parent-child brand “I Make Friends with Little Cranes” in 2016. In April 2017, it partnered with educational institutions such as “MyTours Kids” to successfully turn the brand into a sellable product, making Qiqihar a true “city of family travel.” Additionally, leveraging the marketing opportunities provided by the Heilongjiang Provincial Tourism Development Commission and its own initiatives, the city actively promoted itself nationwide to develop the family tourism market. It successfully built a parent-child brand integrating multiple elements: “exciting family travel routes,” “rich tourism resources,” “a favorable ecological environment,” and “profound historical culture.”
Campers visit the Qiqihar Museum to experience its century-old history and culture
Campers learn the Daur handicraft “Hanika”
Campers dance with Daur children
Centered around the ten themes and ten activities of Qiqihar’s winter tourism, this winter camp covered various local destinations. These include the year-round Qiqihar Museum, Longsha Zoo, and Nianzishan Military Culture Park, as well as winter-specific spots like the Nianzishan Ski Resort and Qiqihar Ice Hockey Arena. The Zhalong Wetland is lush with reeds in summer but turns silver-white in winter; Meilisi Lake sparkles in summer and becomes a world of ice and snow in winter; Shuishi Forest Hot Springs are surrounded by greenery in summer and offer an ice-and-fire contrast in winter... The “hot and cold” tourism resources of Crane City transition perfectly between seasons, not only enriching both winter and summer camp activities, but also creating a “classroom on the road” for campers that encompasses knowledge in nature, society, humanities, history, sports, industry, and more.
Taste Qiqihar's specialty barbecue
In 2018, the “I Make Friends with Little Cranes” winter camp completed a brand upgrade with an educational focus, transforming the journey from play to learning, blending fun with education. This earned high praise from the young campers: “The winter camp just ended, and I’m already looking forward to the summer camp. When the time comes, kids from all over the world are welcome to join!”