Moving indoors

Recently, the General Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism released the 2024-25 National Ice and Snow Tourism Boutique Routes in a document. It identified 12 routes designated as national ice and snow tourism routes for 2024 and 2025, including three located in southern provinces such as Hubei and Sichuan.

The notice also highlighted that the growth rate of indoor ski resorts across the country had surpassed that of outdoor ski resorts.

During the 2013-14 ice and snow season, there were only five indoor ski resorts in China; however, by the 2023-24 season, this number had increased to 59, predominantly in southern cities.

Liu Gang, the director of the mass sports division of Jiangxi Provincial Sports Bureau, said that Jiangxi currently has two outdoor ski resorts, and cities such as Yichun, Xinyu, Ganzhou and Nanchang also feature both indoor and outdoor ice rinks.

"We encourage various ice and snow-related activities like dry land skiing and grass skiing to expand the ice and snow sports community throughout the province and meet the public's demand for these sports," said Liu.

On Jan 10, 2021, the local sports bureau launched a key project with the groundbreaking for the nationally recognized Jiangxi Ice and Snow Training Center in Yudu county of Ganzhou city.

Once completed, this center will not only host Jiangxi's ice and snow sports teams but will also feature the world's largest artificial snowfield and ski slopes.

"By constructing a world-class ice training center in Yudu, we can attract professional ski teams from across the country and even globally for training and competitions in Jiangxi. The training center will include professional tracks in addition to amateur tracks and a public fitness area," said Zhang Songtao, an official from the Jiangxi Provincial Sports Bureau.

"Furthermore, ice and snow sports will be introduced in schools in Yudu, with plans to implement programs in five to six schools annually. This initiative aims to promote ice and snow sports in Jiangxi among the young," he added.

In neighboring Hubei province, Badong county is also capitalizing on the opportunity to develop ice and snow sports as a means to boost the local economy.

The local government constructed a ski resort in the town of Lyucongpo, located at an altitude of over 1,700 meters.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the Lyucongpo Ski Resort has led to the development of over 160 hotels and homestays and more than 80 dining and entertainment venues in the surrounding area, contributing to local employment and income growth.

This snow season, Badong county expects to welcome over 100,000 ice and snow tourists, generating a total income of over 200 million yuan.

Anhui province, located in the central region of the Yangtze River Delta, is also witnessing rapid growth of ice and snow sports. Ski resorts in scenic areas such as Dabie Mountain and Tianzhu Mountain are currently handling peak crowds.

Due to the distance and high travel costs associated with extremely cold regions like Northeast China, many people in the south often search for and experience "snowy places" within their own provinces to satisfy their cravings.

Xu Mingming, a member of the post-1990s generation, recently drove with friends from Fuyang city, Anhui, to Dabie Mountain ski park. They purchased ski package tickets that included a night's stay at a homestay and two tickets to the ski resort.

"After watching short videos of Harbin, I wanted to experience the icy landscapes in person. So, I decided to explore the snow and ice nearby first. When I have a longer holiday, I plan to travel to Harbin in the future," Xu said.