People enjoy themselves at a skating rink in Beihai Park in Beijing, capital of China, December 31, 2022. (Xinhua/Qin Zhonghao)
BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) — During the New Year holidays, Guo Naitao and his family traveled from south China’s Guangdong Province to northeast China’s Jilin Province to learn to ski and enjoy the scenic scenery of Changbai Mountain.
“We watched the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022 and became interested in the world of snow and ice,” he said. “It is well worth a visit, and it is very surprising that we are floating on an underground hot spring.”
Snow and ice tourism has picked up over the three-day New Year holidays that begin on Saturday, as many tourists head to destinations with plentiful supplies of snow and ice.
Wang Hongli, director of operations and service center of the resort, said that the Wanda Mountain International Resort in Changbai has recently received 3,000 to 4,000 tourists who come to ski every day. The station has built 12 snow houses with different characteristics and delicious dishes.
Changbai Mountain has also attracted foreign tourists. Celine Xiao, a French citizen who now lives in Suzhou City, east China’s Jiangsu Province, has visited Changbai Mountain for three consecutive years.
She said that compared with ski resorts in Europe, the ski resorts of Changbai Mountain are more suitable for beginners. She added that Chinese athletes performed very well at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, so more Chinese are learning to ski this winter.
In Beijing, more than 20 parks have launched snow and ice activities that will continue until February 2023. Residents and tourists can enjoy winter sports such as skiing and various recreational activities on snow, natural snow and artificial ice.
Also, 84 ski resorts in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region have been fully opened to the public. More than 50,000 vouchers have been issued to boost local snow and ice tourism.
Located at ideal latitudes for snow and ice, Xinjiang is richer in these resources, compared to the European Alps or the Rocky Mountains in North America.
The provincial Department of Culture and Tourism has launched 12 snow and ice tourist routes related to culture, food, sports and other elements, covering most counties and cities in Xinjiang. A total of 180 activities focusing on snow and ice tourism were also announced across Xinjiang.
In southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, the winter tourist season kicked off on Dec. 16, with more than 20 activities including ski shows and snow and ice games.
At Gold Buddha Mountain in Nanchuan District, 10-year-old Jian Yuchen is having fun on the ski slopes. Jian has wanted to ski since watching the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
“I learned double skateboarding last winter and fell in love with skateboarding. I want to take on the challenge of snowboarding this year,” said Huang Lan, a student at Chongqing University of Science and Technology.
Nanchuan Ski Resort receives about 300 tourists on weekdays and more than 1,000 on weekends, according to Ren Yantao, an instructor who has worked at the ski resort for four years.
“We expect a small wave of tourism peak during the New Year and Spring Festival holidays, so we are working on policies to promote winter sports tourism and plan to offer discounts, promotions and winter sports games,” said Xu Yingchao, Vice President of China. . . General Manager of Chongqing Shanshui Urban Tourism Development Co., Ltd. Responsible for operations of the Golden Buddha Mountain Scenic Area. ■
