Heilongjiang Provincial Tourism Development Committee has extended an invitation to students who took part in this year's national college entrance exam, or gaokao, to visit scenic spots in the province.

The committee said in an open letter that nearly 100 scenic spots are providing free tickets for the students and two half-price tickets for their family members from July 1 to Oct 7.

Scenic spots' slogans have been shared on the committee's WeChat account, which include "Witness the aurora borealis in Mohe county's Beiji village", "Breathe the freshest air in Yichun's Tangwanghe National Park", "Experience a real volcano in Mudanjiang's Jingpo Lake" and "Enjoy the cold mineral spring in Heihe's Wudalianchi Scenic Area".

Hou Wei, deputy director of the committee, said, "Bring your ID cards and admission cards or letters - Heilongjiang welcomes you.

"We also welcome you to study at colleges in Heilongjiang. In addition to rich tourism resources, the province has elite universities. You are going to love it after visiting," he added.

Heilongjiang's forests, wetlands and rivers provide a cool place to beat the summer heat, with temperatures averaging a comfortable 20 C in the hottest months.

The province is known as a winter wonderland, with its capital, Harbin, hosting some of the world's largest snow and ice-sculpture festivals.

If winter seems too far away, people can also enjoy ice and snow during the summer, as Harbin is home to the world's largest indoor ice and snow park, which covers 6,000 square meters.

In addition, on June 30, the world's largest indoor ski resort, Harbin Wanda City, opened in the city.

After taking in the natural scenery, people can enjoy an audiovisual feast at the Harbin Grand Theater, which stages more than 1,000 performances throughout the year.

Heilongjiang is an absolute paradise for epicures. Visitors can enjoy wild river fish, Russian cuisine, Harbin sausage and wild blueberries. Li Xin, 18, a student from Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, plans to visit the province next month.

"I got a satisfying gaokao score, and after finishing my college application process, I would like to take a trip to Heilongjiang," he said.

"My Chinese teacher is from Heilongjiang, so I learned from her that it is cool in the summer and charming in the winter. After hearing about the invitation, I made the decision to visit.

"I believe it will be a wonderful experience, and I will ask my teacher to give me some suggestions about the trip," Li added.

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