What makes NW China’s Xinjiang paradise for ski enthusiasts?

Boasting abundant ice and snow resources, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is emerging as a new ideal destination for skiing lovers.

People ski at a ski resort in Tacheng, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Jan. 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Xinjiang, one of the regions with the richest natural ice and snow resources in China, benefits from the earliest snowfall of the year, the longest snow season and a snow of premium quality. The region is therefore expected to see a growing number of consumers in the future seeking out a high-quality skiing experience, said Li Jianhong, head of the Xinjiang winter sports association and president of the Silk Road International Resort in Urumqi, capital city of the region.

With a mountain range stretching hundreds of kilometers, Tianshan and Altay are home to fresh powder snow, which is suitable for snow sports and only occurs in inland regions with a high altitude. Snow resorts such as the international snow resort in Hemu village of Altay prefecture and the international ski resort in Koktokay township have always served as a paradise for ski enthusiasts.

Besides, the experience of skiing in Xinjiang is a kind of pure enjoyment. There are no strong winds in many of the big snow resorts and those who ski during sunny days will not feel cold at all. “Surrounded by magnificent scenery, I feel like I’m in paradise,” said Meng Yi, a ski coach from Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, who fell in love with skiing in Xinjiang when he first came to ski here four years ago.

Moreover, during the past two years, with the adoption of artificial snow-making, the snow season in Koktokay is able to last for over eight months from the beginning of October until the end of June in the following year, which puts it first in the ranking of International Ski Federation ski resorts in Asia and top 10 worldwide, said Jiang Shicai, deputy head of the sports administration of Xinjiang.

Xinjiang’s snow and ice resources are also found in the Ili River valley, the Sayram Lake and the Nanshan scenic spot of Urumqi. Both the Sayram Lake and Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Ili are expecting the opening of new snow resorts soon. Xinjiang now ranks second only to Heilongjiang Province in northeast China in terms of the scale of snow resorts.

To boost the local winter sports industry, Xinjiang has worked to promote winter sports among the public. Altay prefecture and Urumqi county have opened winter sports courses in schools. Meanwhile, ice rinks have now appeared in many cities.

“Free skiing activities have been widely organized in primary and junior schools in recent years, which enables more people to participate in winter sports,” said Li Jianhong. “As I work in the winter sports industry, I feel it’s my responsibility to promote winter sports. And I hope the vision of getting 300 million people engaged in winter sports across China will be realized soon,” Li added.