Popular characters from traditional Chinese culture and history have been hitting the slopes at a ski resort in Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province, putting on a show of snow and fire that has captured national attention.
At the Vanke Songhua Lake Resort in the city, a ski club composed of amateurs and retired professional skiers has been staging unique night ski performances for the past few years. Most recently, the performers pull stunts on the snow while dressed in full costume, such as that of the Monkey King, a famous character from the celebrated Chinese classic, Journey to the West.
"We started filming our costumed ski performances in 2019. Later, many people suggested we make videos showing skiers dressed in traditional Chinese costumes. So, we began producing such videos," said Ding Ning, director of the ski club.
The group draws inspiration from works like Chinese classical literature, martial arts novels, and Beijing Opera for their costumes, sparing no attention to detail.
"The armor is completely made of metal and weighs nearly 30 kg. Each ski costume is tailored to match the specific height and weight of each performer," said Ding.
Since 2021, their videos have gained attention on short video platforms, with some performances even attracting coverage from foreign media.
"We want to introduce traditional Chinese culture to a broader audience through our costumed ski performances. In the future, we plan to incorporate other elements of intangible cultural heritage, such as fire pot shows, fire knife dances, and fire staff spinning into our performances on the ski slopes," said Ding.
Chinese ski club brings classical culture to life in eye-catching performances
