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It is time to go skiing as authorities in Beijing aim to attract as many as 5 million residents to take up winter sports by 2020 as it prepares to host the upcoming winter Olympics.

Beijing, along with the city of Zhangjiakou in Hebei Province, won the bid to co-host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The Beijing municipal government on Tuesday approved a five-year (2016-2020) plan on public fitness, pledging "vigorous efforts" to introduce all sorts of winter sports to the public including alpine skiing, speed skating, figure skating and curling.

According to the plan, the government will use sports lottery revenue and other fiscal funds to build sporting venues, set up sports associations, and organize competitions and festivals.

It will particularly attract student enthusiasts with winter camps, sports schools, recreation centers and clubs. The amount of investment and details of the project are not yet disclosed.