Olympic triumphs tempt Chinese to winter mountains

CHANGCHUN — As Northeast China's Jilin province has entered its coldest period of the year, a large number of tourists are pouring into the Changbai Mountains, thanks to enthusiasm for winter sports brought by the Beijing Olympic Winter Games held in early 2022.

Skiers and snowboarders of all ages can be seen on the tracks, along with many waiting to take the lift at a ski resort in the Changbai Mountains. "Despite the pandemic, we still receive 3,000-4,000 skiers every day," said Wang Hongli, an operations manager at the resort in Fusong county of Baishan, Jilin province.

Some 20 kilometers away is another resort that has been welcoming overseas group tours this winter.

"The ski resorts in the Changbai Mountains are more beginner-friendly than those in Europe," explained French Tang Sinian, who has settled down in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, and has visited the resort for three consecutive years. "The Chinese team did very well at the Beijing Winter Olympics. With the winter season coming, I feel there are more Chinese people willing to learn skiing."

The interest in winter sports fueled by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has brought growth to various businesses. For example, photography studios have come to the snowy mountains to provide filming and photo services at the ski resorts.

Long Jie, who has been running a photo studio in Beijing for 10 years, came to the mountains with his team. "We take up to 12 sets of photos from day to night."

People are coming to the wintry regions for winter sports and more. The Beijing Winter Olympics has allowed them to take a fresh look at what is around.

"It's hard for people from the northeast to even think of rafting in the frosty days," said Cai Linlin from Changchun. "I didn't expect this trip to offer so many entertaining activities on top of skiing."

A huge market for winter leisure and vacationing has also boosted businesses in remote areas such as the Changbai Mountains.

Located between two major ski resorts in the mountains, Jinjiang village of Fusong county is often marked as a tourism destination.

Dubbed "the last wooden-house village in Changbai Mountains", it is offering more winter sports for tourists this year.

Meanwhile, more villages are attracting visitors with local specialties like mixed meat stew, ginseng tonic and hot springs, adding warmth to the icy winters.

"The more skiers, the more customers we'll have in the village," said Meng Xianfang, owner of a restaurant in Guosong village of Donggang township. "Younger villagers that have left for bigger cities are choosing to come back."

Xinhua