Snow, ice tourism to be pillar industry
Skiing, mountain pursuits attract growing number of tourists and levels of investment in Northeast province.
On the white snowy blankets of Daqing Mountain in Jilin province, tourists trek uphill with snowboards, helmet and ski suits of different colors. Some sit in a cafe at the top of the mountain, overlooking Songhua Lake fenced in by far off hills.
The mountain is located in Vanke Songhua Lake Resort, one of the 37 ski resorts in Northeast China's Jilin province.
Jilin, rich in ice and snow resources in terms of volume and quality during its long winter, is determined to promote ice and snow economy.
Tourists toboggan at Wasa Skiing Festival in Changchun, Jilin. [Photos Provided To China Daily] |
During this year's Spring Festival, the number of tourists who visited Jilin province grew by 20.02 percent year-on-year to 10.7 million. Total tourism income across the province in the period reached 9.7 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), up 28.13 percent year-on-year, according to the local statistics agency.
Dong Dong, sales manager at Vanke Songhua Lake Resort, said the number of visitors it received reached 200,000 by 2015, growing to 300,000 last year with a total income of 150 million yuan.
Beyond ski runs, the resort is also equipped with restaurants, holiday apartments, commercial streets and skiing training schools, Dong said.
Tian Yong, a tourist from Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong province came to visit for the first time this year.
"The beauty of the ice and snow deeply impressed me. I couldn't imagine there was so much winter fun in Northeast China," said Tian.
Another tourist, Sun Jingjing from Shanghai, said the trip changed the image of Jilin in her eyes.
"I used to think of Jilin as a cold and less developed place. But on my trip, I found the city's infrastructure convenient and the locals hospitable. I will bring my family and friends here next year," Sun said.
As the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and Zhangjiakou approaches, the local government plans to develop ice and snow tourism by constructing more ski resorts and snow sculpture parks, and by developing leisure travel and high-mountain extreme skiing, according to an official document released in September 2016.
Yang Andi, director of the Jilin Tourism Development Commission, said the organization expects the number of ice and snow tourists to grow by 20 percent and income by 28 percent in March, year-on-year.
"We have great confidence since the ski resorts are packed with people even at night," Yang said.
The local ski resorts include those that combine winter sports with leisure travel and entertainment, such as Changbai Mountain International Resort, Vanke Songhua Lake Resort and Beidahu ski resort.
Lianhua Mountain and Wujia Mountain ski resorts can provide spaces for skiers at different proficiency levels.
Ski resorts in urban cities are also available for beginners' practice sessions, including Miaoxiang Mountain, Xinli Lake and Cilu Lake ski resorts.
The fourth City of Helong and Laolike Lake Snow Festival opens in December last year. [Zhao Hongliang / For China Daily] |