Spectacular Scandinavia

The indigenous Sami people in Sweden. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The attraction－set in the 19th century, when Anderson lived－offers an atmosphere of old-fashioned Christmas festivity crafted with elements from his fairy tales.

Visitors can buy Christmas ornaments, baked goods and knitwear, and bump into "residents" dressed in traditional clothing.

Visit Sweden's China's country manager Li Chunmei agrees that more Chinese are seeking more comprehensive experiences abroad.

"Chinese travelers are shifting from traditional sightseeing to deeper travel. They want to enjoy the best of the Arctic region and aurora, and to stay in ice hotels," she says.

Li says most visitors to Sweden go for the northern lights. The best place to witness the aurora is in Abisko National Park, Kiruna, which also hosts such activities as snowshoe hiking and reindeer tours.

Icehotel in northern Sweden's Jukkasjarvi village has been rebuilt every year from frozen hunks of the nearby Torne River since 1989. It takes more than two months to construct the structure that stays open from December to April.

About 40 artists, designers and architects were invited to design this year's guestrooms in different styles.