Feature: How skiing has changed perceptions of winter in NW China

YINCHUAN, China, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Looking at the snowy slopes of the ski resort melting under warmer sunshine, Ma Zhi felt at lost as he had to wait for months until the next snow season.

"We used to have nothing to do in the dry and freezing winters except stay at home. Since the ski resort was established near our village, I have begun to look forward to winter each year," said Ma, a villager from Xingsheng Township in Jingyuan County, in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Before the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics spurred a rocketing interest in winter sports, winters in northwest China were tedious due to the comparatively low temperature and dry climate, especially in Ma's hometown, which used to be cut off by mountains.

It all changed when the Yahao International Ski Resort near Ma's home opened in 2019. Ma and some 100 other villagers were hired by the resort and were trained in basic tasks. From November to the following March, Ma was able to earn over 20,000 yuan (2,900 U.S. dollars).

The ski resort has soon made Jingyuan County a winter tourist destination. During the seven-day Spring Festival holiday, all hotels, restaurants and taxis were in short supply. According to Ding Yong, general manager of Yahao International Ski Resort, they received 12,238 tourists within seven days, with the total income up by 67% year-on-year. Skis and coaches were also highly sought after.

"I received a lot of phone calls from nearby hotels or restaurants asking about the projected closing date of the ski resort. They all hope that the operation time could be longer, and that the winter never ends," said Ding.

This year, Ma and his friends opened a rural restaurant to provide tourists with local stewed meat. "We can earn at least 1,000 yuan each day, which is far more than what I can earn via farming or doing part-time jobs," he said.

Jingyuan County is not a unique case in Ningxia. From mountainous areas to the Loess Plateau, many of the places and people alien to the concept of winter sports have been engaged in them. Data released by the local sports bureau shows that 13 ice rinks and ski resorts have received over half a million tourists, with income reaching 24 million yuan (3.5 million U.S. dollars) in the past snow season.

Apart from economic benefits, winter sports have also brought fun to local people. Ma has fallen in love with skiing since the year he worked in the resort. "I used to know nothing about skiing like all the other villagers, but we are quite good at it now," he said.

Some of the villagers even plan to buy professional skiing equipment for the next winter. "Spring is coming, but I haven't mastered the new skills I learned recently. I will leave it to the next winter, and I really can't wait," Ma added.