Chinese culture adds to appeal of ski season in NE China's Jilin

CHANGCHUN, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- With ginseng, wolfberry, tangerine peel, and some other traditional Chinese medicines added inside, the aroma of ginseng tea fills the ski gear hall at a ski resort in the Changbai Mountain area.

This winter, ski enthusiasts can sip free ginseng tea while warming up indoors in the Ice and Snow Economic High-quality Development Experimental Zone in Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province.

Since the beginning of the 2024/25 snow season, two of the biggest ski resorts in Jilin, Beidahu and Songhua Lake, have welcomed a growing number of visitors. According to Huabei, an app for ski enthusiasts, the two ski resorts both rank among the top tier in China in skiing mileage. Apart from ginseng tea, ski lovers can find more scenarios where the ice-and-snow economy embraces Chinese cultural elements this snow season.

"Besides offering free ginseng tea, we have also established traditional Chinese medicine health care centers at the ski resorts so that ski enthusiasts can experience traditional Chinese medical therapies," said Gao Yu, a doctor at Jilin City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

Peking Opera culture is another highlight of the new snow season. Jilin City, as a renowned destination for skiing and seeing stunning rime ice scenery, also boasts a rich Peking Opera heritage.

This snow season, brilliant Peking Opera performances have been staged at various ski resorts, bringing tourists' ice-and-snow tourism experience to another level. At Vanke Songhua Lake Resort, 20 ski enthusiasts dressed in Peking Opera and Sichuan Opera costumes skied down from the mountaintop, attracting cheers and applause from the crowd.

Zhao Lanju, general manager of Vanke Songhua Lake Resort, said that the resort is one of the first places in China where people can experience skiing in themed costumes, and more and more ski enthusiasts are willing to participate in these activities with Chinese-style elements.

The high popularity of winter sports and ice-and-snow tourism also creates a broader stage for China-chic trends.

According to Ctrip, an online travel service provider, ice-and-snow tourism bookings have continued to rise since mid-November.

"Since the start of the new snow season, the number of tourists visiting the resort has increased by 30 percent year-on-year. The resort is expected to go into the peak season around mid-December, with an average daily reception of more than 10,000 people," said Yan Shuai, marketing director of Beidahu Ski Resort.

Li Du, deputy director of the management committee of Jilin City Ice and Snow Economic High-quality Development Experimental Zone, said that culture has played an important role in the ice-and-snow economy, facilitating the full-chain development of winter sports, tourism, and equipment manufacturing.

This winter, tourists can have a lot to expect from their visit to Jilin Province, with winter fishing on the frozen Chagan Lake in west Jilin becoming a must-see. In Changchun, the provincial capital, tourists can see exquisite ice sculptures featuring snake elements. Meanwhile, in the Changbai Mountain area, efforts have also been made to promote the integration between tourism and culture.

These days, the skis jointly launched by the domestic ski gear brand Overide and a domestic video game IP have sold out at Overide's Beidahu Ski Resort store.

Jia Xiaona, the store's manager, said that domestic brands have become increasingly popular among the public, especially the younger generation.

"Many domestic brands focus on improving cost-efficiency and incorporating Chinese-style elements into their product designs, which leads them to more promising market prospects," said Jia.