China's winter economy heating up rapidly

Supporting this growth has been a boom in the development of ski resorts.

Li Xiangbao, marketing manager at Keketuohai International Ski Resort in Altay, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, said the resort welcomed over 3,000 visitors within just 10 days of its opening.

Since November, the daily average number of tourists has exceeded 2,000, with 90 percent traveling from other provinces, Li said.

"On weekends, hotel rooms in the resort area are nearly fully booked. As winter deepens, tourist numbers continue to climb rapidly," he said.

This strong start exemplifies the booming growth of the country's ice and snow economy, boosting confidence in the development and upgrade of ski resorts nationwide.

Keketuohai International Ski Resort is planning extensive upgrades, including the renovation of 23 ski slopes with a combined sliding length of 61 kilometers, and the addition of ski-in, ski-out accommodations.

Other resorts are also expanding their offerings.

Jilin's Beidahu Ski Resort has added 100 snowmaking machines, increased its number of ski slopes from 64 to 74, expanded the slope area from 239 to 275 hectares, and improved its total hotel bed capacity to 9,000.

In Chongli, Hebei province, ski resorts have undergone upgrades to cableways, safety nets, and other essential facilities. Some have introduced new attractions, including night skiing and snow amusement parks, to enhance the visitor experience.

According to the white paper, this snow season, 30 new ski resorts have opened across the country, evenly split between indoor and outdoor facilities. This has brought the total number of operational ski resorts to 719, an increase of 22 from the previous year.

The number of resorts equipped with aerial ropeways — a key infrastructure for ski tourism — has risen by 10, reaching 176, said the report.