Economic Watch: Xinjiang's Altay emerges as a wonderland for winter sports

URUMQI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Unlike many who celebrate the Spring Festival at home, Luo Zhengye and his daughter enjoy a unique tradition: For the past three years, they have hit the slopes of Altay, a city nestled in the far northwest of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

For Luo, who is from south China's Guangzhou City and has skied at top destinations around the world, Altay offers an unparalleled experience. "With its natural powder snow, abundant snowfall and perfect temperatures, skiing in Altay is truly exceptional," he said.

Luo is among millions of tourists visiting Altay Prefecture, which administers Altay City, during the 2024-2025 snow season. The region's vast areas of natural powder snow, coupled with its historical significance, are drawing increasing numbers of skiers and snowboarders, driven by China's expanding winter sports industry and ice-and-snow economy.

Skiing emerged as Altay's top draw during the eight-day Spring Festival holiday, with more than 100,000 visitors flocking to the Jiangjunshan ski resort. The resort, which offers 72 trails spanning 70 kilometers and caters to all skill levels, has seen a record 18,000 visitors in a single day.

"Skiing has truly ignited Altay's winter season," said Arisbek Nuhan, who owns a cultural and creative boutique at the Jiangjunshan ski resort. "Not only has the resort come alive, but the city's streets, restaurants and hotels now buzz with energy."

The winter tourism boom has spurred the growth of various businesses, from international ski brands to local restaurants and spas. As of December 2024, the city boasts 181 hotels with a total of 13,000 beds, nearly five times the number available in 2018.

To make the city even more skier-friendly, Altay has expanded its transport infrastructure, with new flight routes, direct trains and shuttle buses connecting ski resorts. For thrill-seekers venturing off the beaten path, the city provides helicopter rides to remote snow-covered peaks, along with professional guides and emergency rescue teams to ensure safety.

"The rapid growth of winter tourism in Altay City is driven by collaborative development across the entire prefecture," said Guo Sujuan, deputy head of the city's tourism department. In recent years, Altay Prefecture has invested 7 billion yuan (about 976 million U.S. dollars) in the construction of six alpine ski resorts, two cross-country ski sites, and two backcountry ski zones.

By the end of January, the prefecture had welcomed 9.77 million visitors during the 2024-2025 snow season, a 21.57 percent year-on-year increase. Visitor spending soared to 6.32 billion yuan, up 32.04 percent compared to the previous year.

Known not only for its long winters, with snowfall lasting up to 210 days, Altay also has an ancient connection to skiing. In 2005, archaeologists discovered a rock painting there depicting early humans hunting on fur-covered wooden skis. Believed to be over 10,000 years old, the artwork is considered the earliest known evidence of human skiing activity.

To celebrate its skiing heritage, Altay opened a museum on the origins of skiing in January. A standout feature is the museum's snow monster mascot, which was designed by Arsbek Nuhan. "We've launched over 80 products related to the snow monster, including plush toys and blind boxes, which have been well received by consumers," he said.

China's winter tourism has rebounded sharply, offering a welcome boost for northern regions and driving domestic consumption.

The number of ice-and-snow tourists in China is expected to reach 520 million in the 2024-2025 winter season, with revenue likely to exceed 630 billion yuan, according to the latest report from the China Tourism Academy.

Last year, the General Office of the State Council issued guidelines proposing the establishment of a globally influential ice-and-snow economic hub in the north, with provincial-level regions -- namely Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang -- at its core.

Various regions are making plans to develop the ice-and-snow economy.

Home to more than 100 ski resorts, Xinjiang is rapidly emerging as one of China's top winter tourism destinations. It 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 by 2030.

Inner Mongolia has identified the ice-and-snow economy as a trillion-yuan emerging sector, emphasizing the integrated development of winter sports, ice-and-snow culture, equipment manufacturing, and tourism, while Jilin Province has announced an initial issuance of 30 million yuan in ice-and-snow consumption vouchers.

Peng Fuwei, a senior official of the National Development and Reform Commission, noted that future efforts will focus on supporting the sector's growth through planning, policies, and funding.

China aims to boost its ice-and-snow economy as a new source of growth, targeting an economic scale of 1.2 trillion yuan by 2027 and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030, according to guidelines released by the State Council. ■