Ski resorts carve out new jobs on slopes

A boom in winter sports in Ningxia is being driven by a growth in facilities

Lu Xuezhou was surprised by the low number of tourists at Liupanshan Zhougou Ski Resort in Guyuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, when he started work there six years ago. "At that time, tourism in Guyuan was a seasonal phenomenon. Few people were willing to go out during the cold winter and there were few places to go anyway," he said.

Lu, 43, has worked in the tourism industry in Guyuan for two decades. He was general manager of the Liupanshan Long March Scenic Area before being appointed director of the Liupanshan Zhougou venue in 2015, the first ski resort opened to the public in Ningxia. "In the first two years, few people came to our resort because skiing as a sport was not popular at the time," Lu said.