China Focus: Chilean cherries ride wave of China's booming ice-snow economy

CHANGCHUN, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The rapid rise of China's ice-and-snow industry is not only fueling a domestic consumption boom but also attracting international businesses from as far as Chile.

The growing synergy was on full display at the Chilean Cherry Ice & Snow Festival that opened recently at the Changchun Ice and Snow World in Jilin Province in northeast China.

Ice sculptures shaped like cherries, cherry tanghulu -- a popular Chinese winter snack of crispy sugar-coated fruit, and lively cherry mascots perfectly matched the theme of this festival, adding a touch of South American charm to the frosty landscape of the Jilin winter.

Social media influencers raised glasses filled with cherries for photos, families gathered in front of colossal cherry-shaped ice carvings and children happily tasted the dark-red fruit.

The festival, launched by the Chilean Cherry Committee of Frutas de Chile, aims to creatively intertwine the growing energy of China's winter sports scene with the sun-ripened flavor of Chilean cherries, offering a novel sensory experience where ice meets fruit.

"In recent years, winter sports have flourished in China, and we also hope to link cherries, as a healthy fruit, with China's winter sports activities," said Claudia Soler, executive director of the Chilean Cherry Committee.

In Chile, cherries are among the most important agricultural products, while in China, cherries are often the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Chile. Statistics show that during the 2024/2025 season, Chile exported nearly 3.3 billion U.S. dollars worth of cherries to China, with agricultural exports to the country continuing to gain momentum.

At the event in Changchun, Ivan Marambio, chairman of Frutas de Chile, passionately promoted Chilean cherries to Chinese visitors: "Chilean cherries grow in fertile soil, irrigated by water from the Andes Mountains, and undergo strict post-harvest sorting."

The journey of Chilean cherries, traversing half the globe from South America to the East, ends with more and more of them featuring on the menus of ordinary Chinese households, reflecting the robust and stable bilateral trade relations that have been nurtured over the years.

Chilean Ambassador to China Pablo Arriarán Ahumada also attended the event in Jilin. In his speech there, Ahumada noted that a bilateral free trade agreement has fostered increasingly prosperous economic and cultural exchanges between Chile and China, with cherries standing out as one of the brightest stars.

The arrival of Chilean cherries has also enriched the variety of fruits available in China during winter, winning growing favor among Chinese consumers.

"Chinese consumers generally prefer eating seasonal fruits. During the Chinese winter, Chilean cherries happen to be in season in Chile. Convenient transportation and manageable costs make it easier for fresh cherries to reach China," said Yu Lu, vice president of the China Chamber of Commerce of Import & Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce & Animal By-Products.

Following its launch in Changchun, the Chilean Cherry Ice & Snow Festival will continue across China through various retail and festive consumption scenarios until the Spring Festival.

"We hope to establish the festival as a nationwide vitality lifestyle IP in China and create even more exceptional consumption experiences for Chinese consumers," noted Soler. ■