The ice-and-snow sports fever ignited by the 2022 Winter Olympics is persisting in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where skiing enthusiasts from across the globe are converging, keeping the region firmly in the tourism spotlight.

Among the trendsetters is Marina Denisova, a Russian ski coach who conducted an international training session for local certified ski instructors at Jiangjun Mountain International Ski Resort in Altay Prefecture. "This is my first time in China, and I have fallen in love with the snow in Xinjiang. I post photos of the resort on my social media every day."

As a seasoned skiing coach, Denisova travels around the world every year to ski, visiting Finland, Canada and other countries. She said Jiangjun Mountain offers a friendly experience for skiers of all levels, with options ranging from long, steep slopes for professionals to wide slopes for beginners.

"I am willing to encourage my students from all over the world to ski in Altay," said Denisova.

Xinjiang, which boasts favorable natural conditions and multiple high-standard ski resorts, has taken a starring role in China's booming industry of ice and snow sports and is consequently poised to become a global hub for winter sports and adventure tourism, with the region capitalizing on its rich skiing heritage and natural beauty.

BETTER CONDITIONS, MORE ENTHUSIASTS

Thanks to the collaboration between the ski resort in Altay and the ski academy of France-based resort giant Club Med, coaches from Russia, France and other winter sports powerhouses came to Xinjiang this winter and provided Chinese instructors with comprehensive courses ranging from skiing techniques to marketing, according to Shi Zhiqiang, manager of the ski resort.

"Access to international coaches with professional and engaging teaching methods has been incredibly rewarding for me. I hope to integrate the techniques I've learned into my teaching work in the future, thereby providing skiers with more scientifically guided instruction," said Wang Kai, a skiing instructor at the resort.

In December 2023, the Jiangjun Mountain International Ski Resort unveiled a brand-new ski park. Jointly constructed by a team from Switzerland and local skiing enthusiasts, the park spans about 30,000 square meters. It features an array of facilities including boxes, rails, pipes and barrels, providing skiers with the freedom to execute flips, jumps and aerial grabs, thus allowing them to relish the exhilarating experience of skiing.

Shi said the ski resort currently has more than 180 instructors. Since opening in early November 2023, resort instructors have been teaching over 300 students daily, while the resort has been receiving 5,000 to 6,000 visitors a day.

"We are confident that we have gained a ski reputation based on the flow of travelers here," said Li Yuanhao, deputy director of the prefecture's bureau of culture, sports, radio, television and tourism.

Thanks to its long snow season, good snow quality and diverse terrain, Xinjiang has been thrust into the limelight and gained sporting popularity among international skiing enthusiasts in recent years.

This snow season, snowboards and skis of enthusiasts from around the globe have left their marks at various ski resorts in Xinjiang. Jason Low is one of them, having flown in from Melbourne, Australia, specifically to ski in this region.

Low has visited many ski resorts in the Northern Hemisphere and found Altay's pistes and facilities comparable to those in Canada and Japan, but available at a lower cost. "Perhaps influenced by the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, skiing in Altay suddenly became popular among our friends in Melbourne, so I wanted to try it out too," Low said.

According to data provided by the cultural and tourism department of this autonomous region, there are currently a total of 188 ice and snow venues throughout Xinjiang. Among them are 101 ski resorts, 27 ice skating rinks, and 60 ice and snow amusement parks, achieving full coverage of ice and snow facilities in all 14 prefectures and cities across the region. During the 2022-2023 snow season, the region's S-level ski resorts hosted over 2 million visitors.

Ski enthusiasts ski at Jiangjun Mountain International Ski Resort in Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Dec. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES, GLOBAL ATTENTION

In late December 2023, a Freeride World Tour (FWT) Qualifier event was held at the international ski resort of Jikepulin in Altay. The contest saw nearly 120 daring skiers engage in intense competition on the Jikepulin slopes.

As a premier global freeride skiing series, FWT has been running for over two decades, providing a platform for the world's top stars to showcase their skills and push freeride sports boundaries. The 2023 FWT Qualifier at Jikepulin was the first to be held in China.

"The ski resort offers top-quality powder snow that skiing enthusiasts dream of. I am honored to participate in the competition in Xinjiang," said Su Yuhao, a snowboarder, adding that Xinjiang provides a platform for more people to engage in ice and snow sports, allowing them to experience the joy that this sport brings.

Meanwhile, seeing the ballooning development of ice and snow sports in Xinjiang, more global players in the industry are showing their confidence in Xinjiang, believing that the region has a promising future.

In December 2023, the 17th Xinjiang Winter Tourism Industry Trade Expo commenced in the regional capital of Urumqi. Drawing over 500 exhibitors from both domestic and international arenas, the expo spanned a total exhibition area of 18,000 square meters, offering more than 150 booths. Among the international participants were delegations from nine countries including Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Malaysia and Georgia.

"This marks my seventh visit to Xinjiang, and with each visit I witness new changes," said Abdurasul Abdukhalilov, chairman of the Uzbekistan National Tourism Investment Association. "The natural scenery is beautiful here, the facilities of the ski resorts are high-level, and entertainment services are diversified."

He said that the winter period in Xinjiang is generally longer than that of Uzbekistan, and its ice and snow activities can be very alluring for tourists from Uzbekistan.

In 2023, Xinjiang received 265 million tourists, an increase of 117 percent from the previous year, with overall tourism revenue reaching nearly 296.72 billion yuan (about 42 billion U.S. dollars), up 227 percent year on year, according to the culture and tourism department of Xinjiang.

"I visit Xinjiang every winter. With its abundant snowfall, long winter season, vast snowfields and thick ice layers, Xinjiang boasts world-class ice and snow resources," said Wu Bihu, director of the International Center for Recreation and Tourism Research, Peking University.

Noting that the Tianshan and Altai mountains, two major ice and snow tourism belts, are beloved by skiing enthusiasts worldwide, Wu said that Altay is hailed as the birthplace of human skiing, attracting numerous explorers throughout history. "These elements contribute to Xinjiang's profound ice and snow culture and will serve as a new engine for the development of ice and snow tourism in Xinjiang."

Source:
courtesy of XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

by Xinhua News Agency

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