Across China: Northeastern China snow sports appeal attracts international ski enthusiasts

CHANGCHUN -- The bustling energy from Christmas through the Spring Festival holiday, marked by fully booked rooms and non-stop activities, left Jacky Feng tired yet gratified by the popularity of Club Med's Beidahu resort, where he worked as the director of room division.

As the snow continued to blanket the landscape outside, the resort in Northeast China's Jilin province provided a welcome escape, its lobby filled with warmth and life. Mark, a Filipino staff member, strummed his guitar, filling the air with a soothing melody. Meanwhile, skiers in their gear gathered around, eagerly awaiting the sizzling Jianbing Guozi -- crispy dough sticks rolled in a thin pancake.

"The resort has been nearly fully booked since mid-December last year until the end of this Spring Festival holiday, with about 30 percent of the visitors being foreign guests from places like Singapore, Australia and France," Mark said. "This winter season, the resort has been incredibly popular."

Founded in 1950, France-based Club Med is one of the world's largest resorts chains, with over 80 resorts across 30 countries on five continents, including more than 20 winter resorts. In China, it operates three snow resorts, two of which are located in Jilin.

Harrison Dabbs, a 38-year-old Canadian, said that while people often mention skiing in Whistler, a resort in Canada, he found that its climate is damp and its slopes are covered in ice. In contrast, he noted that ski resorts in northeastern China, like Beidahu, don't have these issues and enjoy better snow quality due to the dry, cold temperatures.

Jilin, located between 40 and 50 degrees north latitude, is known for its natural powdery snow. This type of snow has lower moisture content and a loose, dry texture that feels like white flour when held in hand. Unlike regular snow, it doesn't clump together easily.

The unique natural conditions in northeastern China have fostered a growing number of ski enthusiasts, creating an increasingly vibrant skiing atmosphere.

There are more snowboarders in China than in other countries and many foreign staff members enjoy working here, according to Francisco Manera, a 47-year-old instructor from Argentina, who has worked at many ski resorts worldwide, including in the US, Europe, the Republic of Korea, Argentina, and Chile.

This year marks the third ski season for 36-year-old British instructor Benjamin McCombie in northeastern China. He was impressed by the constant development in the region, noting that every year more ski slopes are open and more challenging facilities are added.

Currently, the Beidahu ski resort in Jilin features 74 ski slopes, covering a total length of 80 kilometers and an area of 275 hectares. It is equipped with 13 cable cars and seven conveyor belts, with a total capacity of 31,000 people per hour.

The ongoing upgrades in both hardware and service have attracted increasing international attention to the ski resorts in northeastern China, boosting the confidence of multinational tourism and cultural groups in the Chinese market.

Anastasiya Kulish, vice-president of Club Med China, stated at the second World Ice and Snow Economy of Cold Regions Conference, held from Dec 19 to 20 in Jilin, that they were working hard to expand the operations in Jilin and were planning upgrades for both Changbai Mountain and Beidahu.

As Jilin improves its responsiveness to international tourist demands and elevates service levels, Club Med is set to introduce more activities, such as cross-country skiing and mountain hiking. Meanwhile, existing resorts are planning further upgrades to improve the overall experience.

Franco Marino, a 37-year-old Argentine who has been teaching skiing at Beidahu for two seasons, described the area as having tall mountains, vast spaces, and varying snow conditions, with a lot of snow and strong winds at times. He believes it is a great skiing destination that more people should know about.