NW China's Xinjiang enters snow season

A ceremony was held at the Silk Road Mountain Resort on Nov. 18, 2023 in Urumqi county, Urumqi city, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region marking the start of the ski season for the 2023-2024 ice and snow tourism season there.

The Silk Road Mountain Resort in Urumqi county, Urumqi city, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is filled with tourists. (Photo/Chen Yan)

Huang He, deputy general manager of the resort, said that the tourist service center in the eastern part of the resort and its support facilities, covering an area of 80,000 square meters and with a total investment of 500 million yuan ($ 69.7 million), commenced operations this year. The tourist service center, spanning 30,000 square meters, can accommodate tens of thousands of visitors.

"The resort's newly constructed terrain park, designed and built by a team that had participated in the construction of the venues for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, is able to offer a diversity of enjoyable experience for ski enthusiasts," Huang explained.

Ski enthusiasts are seen at the Silk Road International Ski Resort in Urumqi, capital city of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/Chen Yan)

On the same day, Urumqi introduced 39 ice and snow activities across six major categories to enrich the tourists' travel experience. These activities encompass a wide range of offerings, including ice and snow sports, competitions, culinary experiences, and folk culture.

Ski resorts in other places of Xinjiang have also begun operations. On Nov. 9, 2023, the Jiangjunshan International Ski Resort in Altay opened to visitors, signaling the start of the 2023-2024 snow season.

Ski enthusiasts are seen inside the Jiangjunshan International Ski Resort in Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of the Jiangjunshan International Ski Resort)

Xinjiang is highly favorable for ice and snow activities. In the northern region of Xinjiang, the snow season typically stretches around five months, boasting of a lengthy snow season, high-quality snow, diverse ski slopes, and pleasant skiing temperatures. These natural conditions create an excellent foundation for the growth of the ice and snow tourism industry.