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Southern parts of China discover joy of snow tourismBy Zhao Ruinan (China Daily) 08:43, January 22, 2025
A child skis at the Lyucongpo Ski Resort in Badong, a county in Hubei province, on Feb 26. (Hu Jingwen/Xinhua)
Twenty-six-year-old Yi Wei could barely contain her joy as she watched snowflakes swirling around her while on a trip to Lushan Mountain in Jiangxi province in January last year. "My friends and I had planned to climb the mountain and enjoy a snowy day," said Yi, who rarely gets to see snow in her native Fujian, a southeastern coastal province.
She did not have to travel too far to experience the thrill of this winter wonder. Jiangxi is right next to Fujian. After seeing numerous posts on the social media platform Xiaohongshu, Yi and her friends decided to go and enjoy the snow for themselves.
"We began monitoring the weather in Guling town about a month in advance because snowfall can be very unpredictable.
"When we noticed the temperature dropping below zero for three consecutive days on various weather apps and saw videos from local bloggers on Xiaohongshu showing heavy fog, we knew there was very high chance of snowfall," Yi said.
On Jan 22 2024, Yi and her friends went to Lushan from Xiamen by high-speed train and set out on a three-day, two-night ice and snow tour.
"Fortunately, we experienced heavy snowfall in the mountains, it was breathtaking," she said.
"As I walked, all I could hear was the sound of my boots crunching on the thick layer of snow and the wind whistling through the trees. A song called Sweet Rumors started playing in my mind. At that moment, my surroundings were entirely white, and the joy in my heart swirled like the snowflakes falling from the sky," she said.
In recent years, thousands like Yi have visited Lushan Mountain to admire the snow-clad scenery. On social media platforms, Lushan Mountain is often referred to as the best place for viewing snow in southern China, with some even calling it the "Hokkaido of Jiangxi".
In December 2023, Lushan Mountain attracted 174,100 visitors in just 10 days. Traditionally a summer resort, Lushan Mountain's daily visitor numbers during winter now rival that of the summer months.
People visit Lushan Mountain after a snowfall in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province. (Liu Lixin/China News Service)
South bound
The craze for ice and snow tourism has heated up with dropping winter temperatures. Unlike in previous years, southern regions like Jiangxi are now actively competing for a share in the ice and snow tourism pie, luring visitors away from well-known northern winter attractions such as Harbin in Heilongjiang province.
Data from the hotel booking app Qunar indicates that since November, nationwide bookings for ice and snow-related attractions have risen by 30 percent compared to the same period last year.
Additionally, searches for terms such as "skiing", "ice and snow", and "ski resorts" have tripled. Notably, half of the most popular ice and snow destinations going by early bookings before the end of December are located in southern China.
Another popular winter destination in Jiangxi is the Qixingling International Ski Resort in Tonggu county, Yichun city, which is just a four-hour drive from Lushan Mountain.
At an altitude of approximately 1,400 meters, the ski resort offers various slopes, including beginner and intermediate trails, as well as a snow play area.
This spread attracts numerous visitors from nearby cities such as Yichun, Nanchang and Changsha in Hunan province, who come for skiing and recreational activities.
One such avid skier is Nanchang resident Guo Yajian. "I've been skiing for two years now, and the excitement surrounding the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has deepened my passion for this sport," said Guo, who has mastered both single and double-board skiing techniques through constant practice.
As a skiing enthusiast, Guo has visited Qixingling several times, each time taking more and more friends along.
"Gliding on the snowboard, speeding down the slopes, and experiencing the exhilaration of chasing ice and snow-it's a truly refreshing experience," he said.
However, it's not only young people making a beeline for the resort, it's the destination of choice for a number of families too.
Deng Xide, the deputy general manager of the resort, said that since Dec 15, the resort has welcomed over 10,000 visitors a week. Early bird ticket sales have surpassed 8 million yuan, and he expects a vibrant snow season this winter.
Yuan Zhiqiang, director of snowfield planning at the resort, said that since the ski resort opened in 2016, it has attracted not only local visitors from Jiangxi but also guests from Hunan, Guangdong, Fujian, and other provinces, totaling over 300,000 so far.