China is embracing another golden period for its winter sports as temperatures in the country drop steadily, creating ideal conditions for enthusiastic tourists to enjoy a wide variety of novel activities in ski resorts.
In the Chinese capital Beijing, about 150 ski resorts are anticipating the peak season for winter sports. The iconic National Alpine Skiing Center, which has hosted multiple high-level competitions including the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, opened on Saturday, inviting tourists to show off skills on its 13 slopes in the northwestern Yanqing District.
The northernmost city in China, Mohe, was among the first batch of tourism destinations in the country to welcome winter visitors. Scenic spots have been rolling out novel activities to cater to increasingly diversifying demands, and this year, forest tours by snowmobile have won the favor of customers.
"The activity is thrilling and it's an immersive experience," said Zhong Guoqiang, a tourist from east China's Fujian Province.
On Saturday, a ceremony was held in Songhua Lake Ski Resort in northeast China's Jilin City, marking the beginning of ski season in the broader Jilin Province.
In the nearby Tonghua City, a ski resort has upgraded its smart capture technology, enabling high-definition cameras to automatically capture the movements of skiers and then compile the clips into videos.
"We no longer need to take our mobile phones or cameras with us when we are skiing, and we can still get these dynamic action shots. That's really convenient," said Lian Xinyuan, a tourist from east China's Zhejiang Province.
Major ski resorts in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have also opened to tourists this week, and a popular destination in Altay City extends its operation time into the night, offering visitors novel skiing and paragliding experience.
The eastern Chinese metropolis Shanghai has also witnessed the growing popularity of winter sports, with indoor ski resorts in the city welcoming inflows of visitors.
A giant over 90,000-square-meter resort in the city's free trade zone features various offerings, and tourists can both ski and enjoy other snow-themed entertainments in the indoor tourism destination.
China embraces winter sports boom amid dropping temperatures
