20th Urumqi Silk Road Ice & Snow Festival opens in Urumqi, China’s Xinjiang

The 20th Urumqi Silk Road Ice & Snow Festival opened in Nanshan scenic spot in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Dec. 14, 2022.

Photo shows the opening ceremony of the 20th Urumqi Silk Road Ice & Snow Festival in Nanshan scenic spot in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Dec. 14, 2022. (People’s Daily Online/Li Xinyang)

The festival aims to get more people to take part in ice and snow activities in Urumqi by showcasing the city’s rich ice and snow resources.

At the opening ceremony of the festival, the Urumqi culture and tourism department unveiled 10 winter travel routes and invited famous entrepreneurs from inside and outside Xinjiang to experience ice and snow tourism in the region and take part in meetings to attract investment from them.

“Xinjiang has the best snow resources in the country. The snow here is thick and the weather is good for skiing. As a promoter of ice and snow sports, I’m happy to see more and more enthusiasts coming to experience skiing here,” said Guo Dandan, a freestyle skiing world champion, inviting ski enthusiasts to come to Xinjiang for skiing.

Photo shows the opening ceremony of the 20th Urumqi Silk Road Ice & Snow Festival in Nanshan scenic spot in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Dec. 14, 2022. (People’s Daily Online/Li Xinyang)

During the 20th Urumqi Silk Road Ice & Snow Festival, Urumqi will roll out various activities for tourists to enjoy snow and ice activities and experience local folk customs.

“My friends told me that the quality of snow in Xinjiang is very good. After experiencing it myself here in Xinjiang, I think that the snow deserves the reputation. I plan to visit other famous ski resorts in Xinjiang during the rest of my trip,” said Li Jinyang, a tourist from central China’s Hunan Province.

An 88-year-old tourist tries out skiing inside a ski resort in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People’s Daily Online/Li Xinyang)

In recent years, by taking advantage of its rich ice and snow resources, Xinjiang has vigorously developed winter tourism, snow-themed sightseeing, ice and snow activities, and folk activities, attracting flocks of tourists from home and abroad. These efforts have injected renewed vitality into the high-quality development of Xinjiang’s tourism industry and has turned ice and snow resources into a prosperous business.

Tourists experience skiing inside a ski resort in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People’s Daily Online/Li Xinyang)

Parents and their children experience skiing inside a ski resort in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People’s Daily Online/Li Xinyang)