HLM – Chapter 884 The City of Christmas

Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland, the northernmost province of Finland, located within the Arctic Circle.

As Finland’s fifth-largest city and the capital of its largest province, Rovaniemi holds significant importance. It sits at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and the Ounasjoki River and serves as the cultural, economic, and transportation hub of Northern Finland.

Its fresh air, pristine wilderness, simple folk customs, and beautiful legends give this land extraordinary charm. Thus, those who love it have nicknamed Rovaniemi the “Queen of the North.”

Of course, it is also known by another name—“The City of Christmas.”

Legend has it that Santa Claus lives at a place in the Arctic called Ear Mountain. Since its exact location is a secret, the only way to find him is to visit his office in Rovaniemi’s Santa Claus Village.

But the question of Santa Claus’s true homeland has been hotly debated among Western countries for many years.

That debate finally settled on Christmas Eve of 1995, when then–UN Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali sent a holiday card addressed to Santa Claus to Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland in northern Finland.

The vast glacial tundra, the azure sky, endless stretches of short pine forest, leisurely strolling reindeer, and quaint little wooden cabins together create the quintessential scenery of southern Lapland.

In Rovaniemi, Santa Claus is even more famous than the mayor. His office walls are covered with photos of him and celebrities from around the world, and postcards bearing his face are everywhere.

To further strengthen Finland’s image as Santa’s homeland and attract more domestic and international tourists, the Finnish Tourism Board and the Lapland provincial government jointly developed a long-term strategic plan known as the “Santa Claus Homeland Project.”

In 1985, Santa Claus Village—a unique tourist attraction—was built in Rovaniemi. Over time, ten more Santa-themed sites were established throughout Lapland, including ski resorts, reindeer parks, and wildlife parks.

Wang Bo was interested in all of these attractions, but unfortunately, it was already late December. The Arctic’s long-night, short-day phenomenon was very pronounced. Even at ten in the morning, the sky was still dark—only a faint blue on the eastern horizon hinted that a brief daytime was coming.

Eva and Dale had slept more than thirty hours and woke up full of energy.

Even though it was still pitch-black outside, Rovaniemi was brilliantly lit. Just last year, the city invested 17 million dollars to build a brand-new night-lighting system. It could be said this was a city that never slept—its lights shone day and night.

Snow continued to fall. Wang Bo couldn’t take it anymore and had gone to sleep for a bit, while Eva and Dale stayed by the fireplace, happily watching the snowfall.

Unlike hotels in other regions, many Rovaniemi hotel rooms have fireplaces. These fireplaces are fireproofed and safe for guests. However, if they want to go out, they must have the staff confirm that the fire has been fully extinguished.

When Wang Bo woke up, there was finally a pale gray light outside. The heavy snow had become a light snowfall, shaping the world into a pure white landscape.

When she saw him open his eyes, Eva smiled and gave him a kiss on the forehead. “Merry Christmas, darling.”

Dale stood by the window, staring outside in amazement. “This is so cool! Now this is Christmas—a snowy Christmas!”

Wang Bo laughed. “Actually, bringing you both to Finland is my Christmas present to your sister.”

Dale pouted, her round face stretching long. “So you don’t love Dale? Dale will grow up to be even prettier than my sister!”

Wang Bo said, “Of course I love you. This has nothing to do with looks. I mean, the present I prepared for you isn’t this.”

Realizing something, Dale perked up instantly. “There’s another gift? Where is it? Where is it? I want to see!”

Wang Bo got up to wash his face and said, “What are you waiting for? Let’s go downstairs. Dawn is coming, and we need to make the most of this bit of daylight.”

Because it lies within the Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi is covered in snow from September onward. By this time of year, the entire city is a world of ice.

The area around the hotel was brightly lit—full of incandescent lights shining almost like daytime. However, the Christmas trees lined up at the entrance were decorated with multicolored lights, sparkling and dazzling.

Before they left, a staff member came to check the fire safety. When they met again at the door, the handsome attendant smiled. “Merry Christmas, sir, madam, miss.”

Dale covered her mouth and snickered. “They called me ‘miss’! They think I’m your daughter. Isn’t that funny?”

Eva pretended to sigh. “If our daughter ends up being as mischievous as you, I’d rather have a son.”

Dale protested, “I’m not mischievous! I’m innocent and lively!”

Wang Bo laughed. They really did look like a family. Dale was mixed-race—half white, half Asian—so she did look like she could be their biological daughter.

They walked to the hotel entrance, where Zhuang Ding and Queen were already waiting, pulling the pumpkin sleigh. Both big animals were dressed in warm coverings. Coming from summer straight into deep winter, they were having an even harder time adapting than humans.

Inside the warm hotel, the snowy world outside had looked beautiful, but stepping into it made the truth clear— It was freezing!

A gust of icy wind blew past, carrying snowflakes that hit Wang Bo’s face and made him shiver violently.

Eva burst into giggles at how miserable he looked. Dale, meanwhile, had already locked onto the pumpkin sleigh with glowing eyes. She spread her arms wide and ran toward it like a chubby little penguin.

She wobbled closer, intending to give it a big, warm hug—but slipped and fell with a loud thud.

It was a heavy fall, because the ground wasn’t covered with soft snow but ice. The snow had already been cleared, leaving behind layers of hardened ice from previous melts and freezes—smooth and rock-solid.

Fortunately, Dale was bundled up thickly—and she was tough. After hitting the ground with a loud bang that made the attendants wince, she simply got up, wiped her nose, and wrapped her arms around the sleigh with a peal of silver-bell laughter.

A staff member who had rushed over to help exclaimed, “Your daughter is a brave one! She has ice running through her veins!”

That phrase—“ice in her veins”—was a compliment here, meaning someone was resolute and tough, a true warrior.

Finland lies in the far north, and its people are famously hardy. Throughout history, they endured invasions—from the Soviet Union and the world wars—yet none of it crushed the nation. Instead, it only made them stronger.