——Changchun Hosts Special Winter Tourism Promotion Event in Beijing
On December 16, on the eve of the opening of the 2015 China Changchun Ice and Snow Tourism Festival, to vigorously promote Changchun’s ice and snow tourism resources and showcase the Vasaloppet series of events, the Changchun Municipal Tourism Bureau, Changchun Municipal Sports Bureau, Changchun Jingyue High-Tech Industrial Development Zone Management Committee, and Changchun Nordica Vasaloppet Management Consulting Co., Ltd. organized relevant scenic spots, travel agencies, and star-rated hotels in Changchun to hold the “2015 China Changchun Ice and Snow Tourism Festival & Jingyue Lake Vasaloppet International Cross-Country Ski Race Promotion Conference” at the Beijing International Hotel. The event invited 100 travel agencies, 100 mainstream news media, and online media reporters from Beijing. Officials from the China Tourism Association, China Ski Association, Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development, and some foreign embassies in China attended the meeting.
At the promotion conference, Changchun highlighted its winter ice and snow tourism resources, ice and snow festival activities, and Vasaloppet series event schedules. It was announced that the theme of the 2015 China Changchun Ice and Snow Tourism Festival is “Passionate Ice and Snow, Charming Changchun,” and the festival will officially open on January 2, 2015, at the Jingyue Lake National Scenic Area in Changchun. On that day, thousands of professional athletes and skiing enthusiasts from over 30 countries and regions will compete together, showcasing the grand spectacle of a top-tier international cross-country skiing competition. This year’s festival, centered around four major themes—ice and snow experiences, competitions, culture, and commerce—will feature over 100 dynamic, popular, and down-to-earth ice and snow events, setting a record for the highest number of activities in the festival’s history. In terms of ice and snow product development, the focus continues on the “snow” theme, further enhancing the snow product offerings and creating an immersive citywide ice and snow experience. Efforts will be made to cultivate flagship products such as the “Jingyue Snow World,” while promoting a series of tourism products including skiing, ice and snow entertainment, hot spring wellness, folk culture experiences, and urban cultural sightseeing. The “Eight Winter Wonders of Changchun,” comprising major attractions such as the Changchun Jingyue Lake Ski Resort, Miaoxiangshan Ski Resort, Lianhuashan Ski Resort, Xinli Lake Ski Resort, Guandong Cultural Park, Yulong Hot Spring, Tianyi Hot Spring, and the Changchun Agricultural Expo Garden, have become the core products Changchun is actively promoting in its source markets.
Bjørn Lind, two-time Olympic gold medalist at the Turin Winter Olympics and General Manager of Changchun Nordica Vasaloppet Management Consulting Co., Ltd., introduced the details of the 2015 Vasaloppet series of events at the promotion conference. It is understood that in 2003, the 90-year-old Swedish Vasaloppet Ski Race officially came to Changchun, bringing the Changchun Ice and Snow Tourism Festival onto the international stage. In June 2014, the Changchun Vasaloppet Ski Race officially joined the Worldloppet, the world’s largest and highest-level long-distance cross-country skiing organization. Seizing this opportunity, the Changchun Vasaloppet Ski Race will see comprehensive improvements in scale, athlete recruitment, marketing, and technical standards, achieving a historic leap forward. During this year’s ice and snow festival, Changchun will host seven events: the 4th National University Cross-Country Ski Race, the 2015 China Vasaloppet Short Distance Elite Race at Luming Valley, the China Vasaloppet 50km Race & FIS Long Distance Points Race, the 25km Blueberry Vasaloppet, student ski races, children’s Vasaloppet, and the Vasaloppet Public Fun Race. These events provide not only the best platform for top domestic and international cross-country skiers to compete but also opportunities for skiing enthusiasts and the general public to participate in international competitions.
Shao Daming, Director of the Changchun Municipal Tourism Bureau, stated that the holding of this promotion conference marks the full launch of Changchun’s ice and snow tourism promotional activities in the Beijing market. He also extended a warm invitation to the citizens of Beijing on behalf of the Changchun tourism industry.
At the promotion conference, the organizers engaged attendees through various new media interactive activities, including scenic spot display boards, discount QR code walls, “Scan WeChat to Scratch for Prizes,” and “WeChat Shake to Win Big Prizes.” These activities received active participation and achieved the desired promotional effect.
Changchun, known as the “Capital of Skiing Experiences in China,” is a paradise for skiing, snow viewing, and snow play, thanks to its unique geographical location and climate. Situated in the transition zone between a humid region and a semi-arid region, Changchun enjoys moderate winter temperatures and cool weather, with an average temperature of around -17°C in January. It is not as harshly cold as Harbin but still maintains a snow cover for four to five months, with soft, non-icy snow that is perfect for skiing and snow activities.
Leveraging these exceptional natural advantages, the Changchun Ice and Snow Tourism Festival began in 1998. Over the past 17 years, driven by the festival, Changchun has developed a well-rounded product system centered on skiing experiences, ice and snow entertainment, folk culture sightseeing, and ice and snow activities. The integration of ice and snow tourism with culture and sports industries has strengthened, and the city’s status as an international cross-country skiing hub has become even more prominent. Each year, the festival attracts a large number of domestic and international tourists, bringing vitality and energy to Changchun’s winter.
The 2015 China Changchun Ice and Snow Tourism Festival will officially kick off on January 2 next year. With the theme “Passionate Ice and Snow, Charming Changchun,” the festival will revolve around four major themes—ice and snow experiences, competitions, culture, and commerce—and will host over 100 series of events, setting a record for the highest number in the festival’s history.
This year’s ice and snow tourism festival is packed with highlights, which can be summed up in three popular phrases: “high-end, grand, and top-notch.”
First Highlight: High-End — Reflected in World-Class Cross-Country Ski Events. As early as 2003, the Swedish Vasaloppet International Cross-Country Ski Race officially came to Changchun, attracting hundreds of Nordic cross-country skiing athletes every year. After 12 years of growth, the Changchun Vasaloppet International Cross-Country Ski Race has steadily increased its brand influence and officially joined the “Worldloppet” ski organization this year, marking its expansion from Scandinavia to the world stage. Currently, the number of participating countries and athletes is expected to reach a new record.
Second Highlight: Grand — Reflected in Large-Scale, Richly Layered Ice and Snow Tourism Products. Winter in Changchun is not only lively but also offers increasingly more fun and scenic attractions. The 80,000-square-meter “Jingyue Snow World” is the province’s largest experiential snow sculpture park, with the main snow sculpture at the festival’s opening ceremony standing 25 meters high and 80 meters long, truly breathtaking. The Miaoxiangshan Ski Resort, with an investment of 120 million yuan, features spacious slopes and complete facilities. Polar animals such as emperor penguins and seals make appearances in Changchun... Among others. Additionally, the combination of ice and snow experiences with automotive, film, and Manchukuo heritage tourism products forms a rich and diverse ice and snow tourism system in Changchun, showcasing the city’s “broad-minded and grand” character.
Third Highlight: Top-Notch — Reflected in Rich, Interactive Ice and Snow Festival Activities. This year’s festival will further enhance the scale and quality of its four major themes and 100 activities, making them even more dynamic, fashionable, popular, and grounded. Both citizens and tourists can easily participate and immerse themselves in Changchun’s unique folk culture and urban heritage. Major hotels, parks, and main streets will also feature large-scale, high-end ice and snow-themed landscapes, creating an even more festive atmosphere—a true citywide celebration of ice and snow.
The China Changchun Ice and Snow Tourism Festival is a comprehensive representation of all winter activities in Changchun. Friends from Beijing who visit Changchun are most curious about what there is to see and do. In recent years, Changchun’s tourism products have become increasingly diverse, with 39 A-level or higher scenic spots offering many options. But today’s promotion focuses on ice and snow, so let’s dive into this topic.
When visiting Changchun in winter, the most distinctive and essential experiences are skiing, hot springs, and folk culture. Here, we’ve selected eight representative attractions, collectively known as the “Eight Winter Wonders of Changchun.”
First Wonder: Jingyue Lake Scenic Area. It is arguably Changchun’s most iconic ice and snow destination. It has three highlights: First, its proximity—just a dozen kilometers from the city center, allowing you to experience the feeling of galloping through snowy forests without leaving the urban area. No other ski resort in Northeast China offers such scale within a city. Second, the perfect blend of recreational skiing and professional competitions. The resort has seven ski runs for beginners, intermediates, and experts, including China’s first internationally certified FIS cross-country skiing track designed by an Olympic course designer. This year, the resort will also build a cross-country skiing training area modeled after Germany’s fun training grounds, making the experience more engaging and enjoyable. Third, the showcase of ice and snow art. Two must-see attractions in the resort’s ski area are the “Welcoming”-themed Jingyue Goddess main snow sculpture, which is grand and majestic, and the “Jingyue Snow World.” This year, the Snow World draws inspiration from diverse cultures to present five themed ice and snow masterpieces: “Fantasy Spring,” “Charming Town,” “Global Gathering,” “Chinese Culture,” and “Polar Paradise.” Over 100 large snow sculptures will be on display, showcasing not only European charm but also the essence of traditional Chinese culture. In addition to viewing, there are over 20 ice and snow activities for visitors to enjoy, making the Snow World even more visually stunning, entertaining, and interactive.
Second Wonder: Lianhuashan Ski Resort. Located 38 kilometers from the city center, it is a professional ski resort capable of hosting international competitions, with nine beginner, intermediate, and advanced ski runs totaling over 5,810 meters and covering 140,000 square meters. It also features internationally standard freestyle aerial and snowboard halfpipe courses. The resort’s “Ice and Snow Happy Valley” will open on the 22nd of this month, offering large-scale entertainment such as a super-long ice slide and ice bowling, as well as fun experiences like snow globe rides, snow swings, 5D movies, funhouse mirrors, and sightseeing cable cars.
Third Wonder: Miaoxiangshan Ski Resort. Located in Jiutai City, 39 kilometers from Changchun, the resort boasts excellent infrastructure. It has nine ski runs (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) spanning 6,000 meters, equipped with two magic carpets, one tow lift, and Changchun’s fastest double-chairlift. It also features a top-tier, three-dimensional snowboard park. For equipment, it offers world-class Solomon skis. The resort’s service facilities, including a gear hall and sunny restaurant, along with safety measures, are well-established. This winter, the resort will continue its “Miaoxiangshan Ski Music Festival” brand event, featuring performances by local and national artists that blend ice and snow with music. The newly built Miaoxiangshan Ice and Snow Park covers 65,000 square meters, with dozens of attractions, including a 1.3-kilometer looping snow tube track. The continuously developing Miaoxiangshan leisure resort aims to become a year-round comprehensive destination for international ski events, fitness, entertainment, and relaxation.
Here, I’d also like to introduce a quaint little village at the foot of Miaoxiangshan—the Ping’anbao Village Rural Tourism Cooperative in Bonihe Town. The cooperative includes 12 unique “farm stays” offering dining and lodging, where visitors can experience authentic rural life—eating, staying, and having fun in a farmhouse—while enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of a Northeastern Chinese New Year.
Fourth Wonder: Xinli Lake Ski Resort. Located in the scenic Xinli City Reservoir tourist area, just 12 kilometers from downtown. Its highlights include affordable prices and a variety of entertainment options—perfect for beginners to enjoy skiing for just a few dozen yuan. It is also the most family-friendly ski resort. Xinli Lake provides a highly safe practice slope for children, with an average slope of just 5 degrees, ensuring a worry-free skiing experience for kids. The “Ice and Snow Fairy Tale Happy Valley” built on the lake features large snow slides, snow motorcycles, go-karts, bumper cars, and snow mazes, with popular cartoon characters and royal carriages that delight children—ideal for family and parent-child trips.
After enjoying the fun of ice and snow, soaking in a warm hot spring amidst falling snowflakes offers a delightful contrast of hot and cold. Next, let’s introduce:
Fifth Wonder: Yulong Hot Spring Resort. Located in Shuangyang District, 37 kilometers from downtown Changchun. Its biggest highlight is the meticulously crafted tropical rainforest-style “southern scenery.” The 80,000-square-meter resort is fully enclosed with a steel structure, integrating mountains, rocks, forests, springs, waterfalls, streams, ponds, and flora, with lush greenery year-round. It features 50 uniquely shaped hot spring pools with various functions. The 5,000-square-meter outdoor hot spring area, designed with Taoist cultural elements, offers a unique experience. Facilities like the water park, jade room, salt stone room, volcanic rock room, yoga studio, fitness plaza, and chess room help guests relax, relieve sub-health issues, combat fatigue, and recharge.
Sixth Wonder: Guandong Cultural Park. As Changchun’s first modern energy wellness hot spring, its waters are treated with rare mineral medicinal stones, offering benefits such as cell cleansing, blood purification, detoxification, pain relief, and muscle relaxation. For beauty-conscious women, it also has special effects like skin rejuvenation and weight loss. The park emphasizes ice and snow ambiance and Northeastern folk culture, featuring a “Chinese Dream, Guandong Sentiment, Romantic Ice and Snow Festival”-themed ice sculpture garden. The park’s 60,000-square-meter lake will also host an ice and snow playground with skating and ice game areas. Visitors can also experience sleeping on heated brick beds, making sticky rice balls, setting off fireworks, and shopping for New Year goods, immersing themselves in rich Northeastern folk and ice and snow culture.
Seventh Wonder: Tianyi Hot Spring Villa. Adjacent to Xinli Lake Reservoir and about 20 kilometers from Changchun, it is the only spot in Changchun where you can enjoy both skiing and hot springs. In the indoor bath area, you can soak in hot springs with water temperatures of 58°C, rich in over 30 health-beneficial minerals and trace elements. Outdoors, the resort will build a new ice and snow playground and two downhill ski runs this year, utilizing the mountain terrain and forest clearings to create a 1.1-kilometer loop cross-country ski trail—perfect for visitors to try. Winter elements like food, scenery, ice, and hot springs blend seamlessly here, making it an ideal leisure destination.
Located in the heart of Northeast China, Changchun has seen the Han Chinese and ethnic minorities such as the Manchu, Hui, Mongolian, and Korean peoples learn from and absorb each other’s cultures, forming a unique Guandong folk culture. When visiting Changchun, be sure to experience our Northeastern folk traditions. Around the Chinese New Year, there’s one particularly festive spot you shouldn’t miss:
Eighth Wonder: Changchun Winter Agricultural Expo & Jingyue New Year Fair. Here, visitors can pick hydroponic vegetables, tour orchid, fishery, lantern, and green food exhibitions, enjoy cultural performances and calligraphy sessions, and shop for New Year goods at the fair. It’s a winter tourism product that combines sightseeing, leisure, and shopping, offering the most authentic “New Year” atmosphere in the Northeast. From February 6 to 25, 2015, the 6th Winter Agricultural Expo will be held at the Changchun Agricultural Expo Garden for 20 days, featuring 7 exhibition and sales events and 6 cultural activities. If you want to experience the lively atmosphere of a Northeastern Chinese New Year, be sure to visit the expo.
The “Eight Winter Wonders of Changchun” highlighted above are, of course, just part of what Changchun offers. While experiencing its ice and snow culture, be sure to explore the city’s unique urban culture and tourism products.
First, there’s the Automotive Industry Tour. Changchun is a nationally renowned “Motor City.” Visitors can explore industrial sightseeing attractions such as the FAW factory complex, Changchun International Automobile Park, FAW Hongqi Exhibition Hall, and FAW sedan production lines to learn about the history of China’s automobile industry, witness modern car manufacturing processes, and experience Changchun’s unique automotive culture.
Second is movie culture tourism. At China's first world-class movie-themed entertainment park—Changchun Movie Wonderland, visitors can experience cutting-edge global film culture and special effects. The newly built and opened Changchun Film Studio Museum this year fully documents the development history of Changchun Film Studio, serving as a concentrated excavation and showcase of Changchun’s film culture.
Third is warning culture tourism. Representative sites include the Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo, the former palace site where Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, served as the puppet emperor of Manchukuo. It is one of China’s first batch of 5A-level tourist attractions, displaying a large collection of precious historical relics. Along Changchun’s main streets, you can also visit the ruins of the Manchukuo "Eight Ministries," as well as remnants such as the Japanese Kwantung Army Headquarters and the Manchukuo State Council, forming a unique warning culture tourism product in Changchun.
Fourth is sculpture art tourism. Visitors can admire sculpture art products represented by the Changchun World Sculpture Park and numerous urban sculptures.
Starting from Changchun, you can also easily visit nearby cities to experience the snowy beauty of the Guandong region. For example, the winter scenery of Changbai Mountain—one of China’s top ten famous mountains—the high-end facilities of the Changbai Mountain Wanda International Resort, the beautiful Jilin rime landscape, and the winter fishing at Chagan Lake in Songyuan, known as the "Fish Leaping from the Ice Lake." You can also experience the folk customs and specialty cuisine of the Korean ethnic group in Yanbian. Changchun has become an essential stop and the first gateway to appreciate the snowy wonders of Jilin.
A poem describes Changchun as: “An ice-and-snow paradise, Changchun beyond the frontier, welcoming the noble orchid a thousand times, sending you off with Changchun sails for miles.” The people of Changchun, as gentle and warm as refined gentlemen, sincerely invite friends from all over to come to Changchun, experience the “Eight Scenic Wonders of Changchun’s Ice and Snow,” feel the warmth of a green and livable city, and enjoy the dynamic charm of the city.
Note: Introduction to the 2015 China Changchun Jingyuetan Vasaloppet International Ski Festival events
The China Changchun Jingyuetan Vasaloppet International Ski Festival originated from Sweden’s 90-year-old Vasaloppet Ski Festival. In 2003, it officially settled in Changchun’s Jingyuetan, giving birth to a large-scale comprehensive festival integrating sports, tourism, culture, and trade, themed “Passionate Vasaloppet, Charming Jingyuetan.” The Vasaloppet Ski Race itself has become the largest cross-country skiing event in Asia, renowned both domestically and internationally.
In June 2014, China’s Vasaloppet stepped out of Asia and was officially accepted as a member by Worldloppet, the world’s largest and highest-level long-distance cross-country skiing organization. The Chinese flag was finally added among the 20 member countries of Worldloppet. Since then, China has become the only country among the new members to be unanimously approved, and the Jingyuetan Vasaloppet Ski Race became the second Asian event to join the organization.
The Worldloppet (Worldloppet Ski Federation) is officially known as the World Long-Distance Cross-Country Skiing Organization. Affiliated with the International Ski Federation (FIS), it was founded in Sweden in 1978 and is the world’s largest and highest-level long-distance cross-country skiing tour. It holds extraordinary influence and appeal in the global cross-country skiing community. The organization includes 20 ski events held in 20 countries, including China, with each country allowed only one qualifying cross-country skiing race to become a member event. Events are spread across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australia, with over 130,000 professional skiers and skiing enthusiasts participating in its series of events worldwide each year. Successfully joining the ranks of the world’s top long-distance cross-country skiing events marks another historic leap for China’s Vasaloppet. It has ushered in new development opportunities for expanding the scale and enhancing the influence of the event.
The 2015 Changchun Jingyuetan Vasaloppet International Ski Festival is the first year China’s Vasaloppet has joined Worldloppet. To achieve new breakthroughs in scale, level, and quality, the organizing committee has significantly enhanced international participation and professionalism in areas such as event organization, athlete recruitment, marketing, and technical standards.
This year’s Vasaloppet Ski Festival has carefully designed seven events tailored to different groups, including the 4th National University Students’ Cross-Country Ski Race, the Luming Valley 2015 China Vasaloppet International Cross-Country Ski Short Distance Elite Race, the China Vasaloppet 50km Race & FIS Long Distance Points Race, the 25km Blueberry Vasaloppet Race, the Student Ski Race, the Children’s Vasaloppet Race, and the Vasaloppet Public Fun Race. These events provide not only the best competitive platform for top domestic and international cross-country skiers but also opportunities for skiing enthusiasts and the general public to participate in international events.
In terms of athlete recruitment, nearly 400 foreign athletes have registered for the 50km long-distance ski race so far, including more than ten world cross-country skiing champions and nearly a hundred FIS-registered professional athletes. The Chinese Ski Association is also actively organizing domestic and other Asian professional athletes to participate. On the opening day, it is expected that over 10,000 professional athletes and skiing enthusiasts from more than 30 countries and regions will start together. At that time, cross-country skiing enthusiasts from around the world will gather in Changchun to share this “speed and passion” ice and snow feast.
In terms of race technology, the Changchun Vasaloppet Ski Festival organizing committee has made great efforts to align with international standards. Following Worldloppet requirements, the FIS-certified 16.7km track has been extended to 25km. The track starts amid spectacular snow sculpture displays, winds through the snow-covered forests and snowy plains of Jingyuetan, and ends at the 25-meter-high, 80-meter-long “Goddess of Jingyue” main snow sculpture in this year’s ski festival snow sculpture park. The new track greatly enhances the spectacle and competitive experience of the race. Additionally, technical representatives from Worldloppet will oversee track quality, timing systems, and other technical aspects throughout the festival to ensure the event delivers a world-class ice and snow sports experience for skiing enthusiasts globally.
The sub-events of this year’s Vasaloppet Ski Festival are even more exciting. All domestic and international cross-country skiing enthusiasts are welcome to participate enthusiastically and find your own perfect cross-country skiing race.