The Anji Skyland Ski resort is seen in Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
As Spring Festival approaches, tourists flock to the Anji Skyland Ski resort in Zhejiang province. Wei Ruoxi, who goes to ski resorts four to six times every snow season, heard that the resort is particularly crowded on weekends, so she chose to drive from Shanghai to ski during off-peak times.
She mentioned that she used to ski in the northeastern provinces but now, with rising airfare prices due to the approaching Spring Festival, she found this resort to be the best choice.
Tourists flock to the Anji Skyland Ski resort in Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
"Although there are fewer ski slopes here compared to the ski resort in Northeast, there are still advanced trails to choose from," Wei noted. "Despite the higher temperatures in the South, the snow quality here is still good as snowmaking machines maintain the slopes daily."
The continuous construction of snow resorts equipped with advanced refrigeration, snowmaking and ski trail design technologies has made ice and snow entertainment a popular option for cultural tourism consumers in East China.
Based on a research report for the 2023-2024 ice and snow season, the number of ice and snow venues in the Yangtze River Delta region has notably risen, ranking among the top two nationwide.
Released by the General Administration of Sport of China in July, the report pointed out that the number of indoor ski resorts in China rose from five in the 2013-2014 season to 59 in the 2023-2024 season, primarily concentrated in southern cities.
Tourists flock to the Anji Skyland Ski resort in Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
For skiing enthusiasts in this region, Skyland Ski resort, situated atop Xueling Peak in Anji County, Zhejiang province, at an elevation of 1,168 meters, has emerged as a premier destination.
According to data from Meituan Travel, searches for "Anji Skyland Ski Resort" have increased by 507.7 percent year-on-year in the past month.
"Our goal for the 2024-2025 snow season is to attract over 400,000 visitors," stated Hui Fenglin, the deputy general manager of operations of Skyland resort, a branch company of Yunshang Tourism Group. "The ski resort has brought vitality to Anji tourism since December."
According to Hui, the resort draws an average of 250,000 visitors each snow season, with revenue accounting for about 80 percent of the annual total.
"In 2024, we see weekend footfall ranging from 7,000 to 8,000 daily, whereas on weekdays, it's around 3,000 to 5,000. Our current visitor numbers show a growth of over 20 percent compared to when the resort just opened," Hui remarked. "However, our daily reception capacity can reach 34,000, indicating that we have not yet met our expected capacity requirements."
Tourists flock to the Anji Skyland Ski resort in Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
To enhance visitor experience, the resort has upgraded its facilities this year.
"Currently, the ski resort features seven trails of beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, covering an area of nearly 400,000 square meters with a total length of 3.8 kilometers. It can accommodate up to 15,000 skiers simultaneously and includes a snow play park to cater to a wider age range," Hui explained.
The company has also recruited over 500 professional ski instructors from sports colleges in Northeast China to provide more professional and high-quality skiing services.
Tourists flock to the Anji Skyland Ski resort in Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Furthermore, new promotional policies have been implemented, such as offering free skiing to students from first grade to high school upon presentation of their awards.
"With the national initiative to encourage winter sports for 300 million people, there has been a substantial enhancement in local transportation, lodging and residents' income, raising the region's profile significantly."
"We often see many out-of-town license plates at the foot of the mountain, including visitors from Guangzhou, Guangdong province. Therefore, our customer base extends beyond the Yangtze River Delta region to areas like Guangzhou, Fujian and the Pearl River Delta region," Hui expressed.
Tourists flock to the Anji Skyland Ski resort in Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Currently, Anji County has two ski resorts, Skyland and Jiangnan Tianchi, making it the largest hub for winter sports in the Yangtze River Delta region.
Zhu haibo, a member of the Party committee of the culture and tourism bureau of Anji County, stated that since the two ski resorts kicked of its latest snow season on Dec 17, 2024, they have welcomed approximately 200,000 visitors, generating tourism revenue of 75 million yuan ($10.3 million yuan).
"By leveraging skiing activities, all nine 4A-level scenic spots in the county have implemented corresponding discount policies. Visitors holding full-price high-speed rail tickets from Shanghai to Anji in Huzhou can enjoy free or half-price access to all 4A-level scenic spots in Anji," Zhu explained.
Anji Skyland Ski resort is seen in Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
