Good opportunity

Some local residents have become curious about the ballroom, which they had never noticed before.

Zhang Wenqian, 30, a civil servant, visited the venue for the first time after she viewed Mohe Ballroom online.

"This is a good chance to promote our city nationwide," she said. "At the same time, the song also reminds residents of painful memories and of the need to prevent a similar incident.

"Although I didn't experience the fire, I have been told stories about it since childhood. Our city also holds commemorative activities on May 6 every year to remind us of the past."

Mohe is one of few places in China with a subarctic climate－long, severe winters and short, warm summers. Winter begins in early to mid-October and lasts until late April. The city holds the record for China's lowest temperature, minus 52.3 C in 1956.

But if the climate suggests an inhospitable place, this is not the case. The border with Russia has a raw beauty, attracting countless tourists every year, although they mostly visit in summer to witness the aurora borealis, or northern lights.