Xinjiang unveils plan to become China's leading hub for winter sports

URUMQI, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has unveiled a plan to establish itself as a leading hub for the country's northern winter sports, with the goal of reaching a total ice and snow industry value of 200 billion yuan (27.3 billion U.S. dollars) by 2030.

The plan focuses on building a modern ice and snow industry system driven by winter sports, while promoting ice and snow culture, equipment, and tourism. It specifically emphasizes boosting the northern regions of Xinjiang, including Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture and Altay Prefecture, with the goal of transforming them into internationally recognized ice and snow economic zones.

Youth sports are a key component of the initiative.

The government plans to encourage schools with the necessary facilities to offer winter sports programs and is considering adjusting vacation schedules in traditional winter sports areas to increase participation.

By 2025, Xinjiang aims to designate 200 schools as specialized centers for winter sports, with plans to establish 10 youth winter sports training centers across the region by 2030.

As part of its broader strategy, Xinjiang will also host two to three international winter sports events annually starting in 2025.

Altay city, located in northern Xinjiang, has already hosted the Winter Games Around Altai Mountains for two consecutive years, attracting teams from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia.