World's largest indoor ski center opens in south China's Shenzhen

The world's largest indoor ski center officially opened in south China's Shenzhen City on Monday, giving visitors the chance to experience the thrill of snow sports all year round in a city which is typically known for its tropical climate.

The Shenzhen Huafa Qianhai Ice and Snow World covers about 100,000 square meters, equivalent to the size 11 soccer fields, and has been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the largest facility of its kind anywhere on the globe. The complex boasts five ski runs, the longest one stretching 450 meters, as well as an 83-meter-high ski jump.

The groundbreaking project is poised to redefine winter sports in southern China, offering a fresh tourism experience and driving economic growth in the region.

The facility is set to see a big influx of visitors during China's week-long National Day holiday period which began Wednesday, and even from its opening day, the resort has drawn skiing enthusiasts from all around the world.

"There's no snow in Shenzhen unfortunately, but as Shenzhen's got money [to develop this], it gets a wonderful mountain, small mountain [at this indoor facility]," said Landais Christophe, a visitor from France.

China has already opened several other indoor ski venues, including one in the nearby city of Guangzhou, but what makes this new snow resort stand out from others is its record-breaking scale and world-class infrastructure.

"This is the world's largest indoor snow resort, spanning 100,000 square meters. Our facility features five ski slopes, each equipped with cable cars and conveyor belts. Two of our slopes are certified by the International Ski Federation for professional competitions," said Zhang Ye, manager of the training center of the Shenzhen Qianhai Huafa Ice and Snow Sports.

Beyond skiing, the project is set to become a major economic driver for the Greater Bay Area, a major city cluster across south China, and is expected to entice visitors from other countries across the region.

"This facility is not only going to attract people in Shenzhen but also people in the Greater Bay Area and the southeastern part of Asia, for example, like Thailand, like Vietnam. This differentiation will bring economic and social and cultural benefits to the whole society," said Wu Haifeng, director of the Center for Sustainable Finance at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen).

World's largest indoor ski center opens in south China's Shenzhen

Kenya must maintain high vigilance and continue strengthening disease surveillance and control measures, as the country reaches a critical phase in its response to the current Ebola outbreak, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Friday.

Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, acting WHO representative to Kenya, commended on the Kenyan government's prompt response following the detection of the first imported case, which involved rapid contact tracing and isolation.

According to Kenya's Ministry of Health, the country has reported nine confirmed cases of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain, including two deaths. All subsequent confirmed cases were identified while under isolation and are currently receiving treatment, with no evidence of community transmission.

Just before the first batch of close contacts completed their 21-day medical observation without symptoms and began leaving quarantine starting Sunday, Kimambo noted that releasing contacts from observation does not signal the end of the outbreak.

"So for WHO criteria, we look at those 21 days. But we still have people who are sick, right? So until you come to the last patient being treated and is now Ebola-free, then we count up to 42 days to officially say this is over. So we still have a while to go for that," she said.

The official also highlighted the broader regional concern, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where new cases continue to rise rapidly and cross-border human mobility increases the difficulty of epidemic control.

"They're currently now getting around an average of 70 something new cases every day. You can imagine if the case in Kenya, just one case, we had over 100 contacts. So imagine 70 new cases every day. How many contacts?" she said.

To address these challenges, the WHO is assisting relevant countries in sharing information and coordinating responses through national contact mechanisms and country offices, Kimambo added.

Kenya to remain vigilant in Ebola response: WHO official