Indoor ski resorts gain popularity in China as summer heat arrives

Indoor ski resorts have emerged as popular destinations for people in China to escape the summer heat.

The Shanghai L+SNOW Indoor Skiing Theme Resort, the world's largest indoor snow park covering over 98,000 square meters, is seeing a steady stream of visitors in recent days.

"It's pretty cool. I'm from Singapore, where it's summer all year round. So, I really want to find indoor places to have fun. I'm planning to spend the weekend here because I have been to other indoor ski resorts, and this one seems to be more fun with more facilities and thoughtful services," said a skier.

Since its opening in September last year, this ski resort has been attracting over 6,000 visitors daily on holidays, with the booking rates of three surrounding hotels reaching nearly full occupancy. 

In cooperation with the hotels, the resort is offering service packages covering skiing and water facilities as well as discounts this summer to lure tourists.

"We have launched a service package, which has been well received by visitors, especially families with children," said Li Ling, marketing director of the resort.

In Guangzhou, capital city of south China's Guangdong Province, an indoor ski resort has built five different slopes to accommodate various skill levels, offering options for both beginners and expert skiers.

"Here, you can do both snowboarding and skiing. This place is especially crowded on weekends, with nearly half of the visitors from Hong Kong," said a skier from Hong Kong.

The resort received more than 1 million skiers last year, and nearly 30 percent were from Hong Kong and Macao, as a result of the facilitated traveling within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Meanwhile, the Gulongxia scenic spot in Guangdong's Qingyuan City has upgraded its river rafting route, making it currently the longest of its kind in Guangdong.

With a drop of 378 meters, the facility is providing numerous visitors with a thrilling experience, a beautiful scenery, and a fun way to cool off.

Indoor ski resorts gain popularity in China as summer heat arrives

The Middle East conflict has imposed heavy economic costs on Europe, driving up energy prices and adding billions of euros to import bills, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.

"Since the beginning of the conflict, gas prices have risen by 50 percent and oil prices by 27 percent," von der Leyen told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

She said 10 days of war had already cost European taxpayers an extra 3 billion euros (3.48 billion U.S. dollars) for fossil fuel imports.

Von der Leyen said the European Commission is assessing additional measures to lower energy bills, including a possible cap on gas prices.

She said the EU had diversified its fossil fuel supplies in recent years, but "this does not mean that we are immune to price shocks. Energy markets are global."

The surge marks the second time in recent years that geopolitical conflict has triggered sharp rises in EU energy costs, following the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.

The commission is also pushing nuclear power to boost production and cut prices. Von der Leyen announced on Tuesday a 200 million euro (231.75 million dollar) EU guarantee to support private investment in innovative nuclear technologies.

EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen urged member states on Tuesday to cut energy taxes where possible, particularly on electricity, to lower consumer bills.

The commission on Tuesday also unveiled a Clean Energy Investment Strategy aimed at channeling private financing into power grids, clean energy technologies and energy efficiency.

Middle East conflict drives up energy costs: European Commission president