Skiing draws crowds beyond snow belt

HANGZHOU — In parts of China where heavy snowfall is rare, ski resorts are drawing growing crowds, fueled by advances in snowmaking technology, the rapid growth of indoor ski resorts and rising enthusiasm for winter sports among southern Chinese holidaymakers.

At SkyLand, a ski resort, located over 1,100 meters above sea level in Anji county of Zhejiang province, instructor Wang Fang had a busy Spring Festival holiday. During the nine-day period, she taught an average of five students a day.

"There are so many first-timers here," Wang said. "Seeing visitors enjoy their first experience on snow is very rewarding."

Wang was one of more than 400 ski coaches working at Sky-Land during the holiday, which is China's peak travel season and brought strong visitor flows to local resorts this year.

Li Yang, SkyLand's marketing director, said the resort receives more than 10,000 visitors a day during peak periods. "Most of our customers are young people seeking novel experiences, or families bringing their children to try skiing."

Not typically associated with snow and ice, Zhejiang is far from China's "snow belt" — colder provinces such as Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning in the northeast, where long winters and abundant snowfall have historically sustained large-scale skiing.

Yet public interest in winter sports is particularly strong in the province, with many locals boasting on social media about their "first encounters" with snow and ice. This has brought a continuous stream of tourists to local mountainous ski resorts like the one in Anji.

Advances in snowmaking technology have also helped narrow the geographic divide.

Jiangnan Tianchi Ski Resort, which was one of Zhejiang's earliest commercial ski areas, said it has updated more than 40 snow machines this year. Also aided by snowmaking technology, Wansongling Ski Resort in Lin'an district of Hangzhou opened six trails and upgraded its training terrain this snow season.

"When natural snowfall is insufficient to support the operation of some ski resorts, artificial snowmaking and refrigeration technologies allow us to better utilize water resources on local mountains," said Zhang Wei, deputy director of the district's bureau of culture, radio, television, tourism and sports.

"Of course, the prerequisite is not affecting local flood control and irrigation," Zhang added.

"Continuous advances in snowmaking equipment have reduced the industry's reliance on high-altitude terrain, allowing winter attractions to move closer to cities," said Xu Xin, head of the ice and snow tourism branch of the Zhejiang Provincial Tourism Association.

Online data reflect the trend. Over the past month, internet browser searches for "indoor ski resorts" surged 117 percent year-on-year in the eastern Shanghai metropolis, with interest in ski equipment climbing in tandem, according to Meituan, an online lifestyle platform in China.

National policymakers are also betting on the sector. China aims to boost its ice and snow economy as a new source of growth, targeting an economic scale of 1.2 trillion yuan ($174.08 billion) by 2027 and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030, according to guidelines released by the State Council.

A China Tourism Academy report highlighted growing demand for indoor ice and snow entertainment, with South China accounting for 30 percent of the total national investment in heavy-asset ice and snow tourism projects in 2025. Related indoor complexes have become a key investment area, fueling year-round tourism.

Xinhua - China Daily