China's ice, snow economy heats up

Ski enthusiasts enjoy skiing at a resort in Arxan city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Xinhua/Bei He]

Since the opening of many ski resorts this winter season in China, the country's ice and snow economy has continued to heat up.

At Wanlong Ski Resort in Chongli district, Zhangjiakou city, north China’s Hebei Province, skiing enthusiasts are flocking to the slopes.

In recent years, China's efforts to engage 300 million people in winter sports have ignited a nationwide passion for winter activities. Many regions are seizing the opportunity to attract winter sports fans with a variety of offerings and quality services, fostering the integrated development of culture, sports, and tourism.

Recently, China introduced guidelines to invigorate the ice and snow economy through the high-quality development of winter sports.

Leading the charge, the Keketuohai International Ski Resort in Altay Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, opened its doors to guests on Oct. 20.

In its first 10 days, the resort attracted more than 3,000 visitors, according to Li Xiangbao, the marketing manager. Since early November, it has averaged over 2,000 visitors per day, with an impressive 90 percent coming from other provincial regions. Visitor numbers are expected to rise as winter sets in.

Ski resorts across the country are making significant efforts to enhance their offerings. The Keketuohai International Ski Resort has expanded to 23 ski trails spanning 61 kilometers.

Meanwhile, the Beidahu Ski Resort in northeast China's Jilin Province has added 100 new snowmakers and increased its ski trails from 64 to 74, raising the total number of hotel beds to 9,000.

In addition to upgrading infrastructure, ski resorts are also improving service quality. The Keketuohai International Ski Resort has partnered with a ski federation in Austria to elevate training and certification standards for coaches. The Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort in Altay has collaborated with French experts to establish a ski academy, providing well-structured training to enhance the skills of ski instructors.

The ninth Asian Winter Games will be held in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, in February 2025. In preparation, the city plans to increase the availability of ice and snow products by hosting its signature events, including the annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, and introducing 12 high-quality tourism routes.

Several winter sports events, including the 2024-2025 FIS Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom World Cup, are also set to take place in China.

Hosting winter sports events plays a crucial role in driving economic development. Earlier this year, the 14th National Winter Games in Hulun Buir, located in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, generated 32 billion yuan ($4.42 billion) in sports-related and other types of consumption.

Chongli, capitalizing on the legacy of the Beijing Winter Olympics, has hosted more than 430 cultural and sports events this year and is preparing for nearly 100 additional competitions in the 2024-2025 ice and snow season.

In the upcoming snow season, Heilongjiang will continue to promote popular winter sports. The province plans to feature over 300 events, including ice marathons, on its packed calendar.

Yang Xuedong, director of the Sports Economy Department of China's General Administration of Sport (GASC), noted that the GASC has organized a series of initiatives to accelerate the development of winter sports events since the beginning of the year, yielding significant results.

"We will hold more ice and snow activities to better meet public demand and unlock the potential of sports events," Yang said.