Located in Chongli County, just north of Zhangjiakou, the county has a population of only 126,000, with fewer than 30,000 residing in the main urban area—equivalent to the student body of a key high school in a central province. Chongli was long classified as a national-level poverty-stricken county until around 2010, when the region began vigorously developing ski resorts. Its unique climate and mountainous terrain became invaluable assets. On July 31st of this year, Beijing and Zhangjiakou successfully bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, propelling Chongli onto the world stage.
Ski Resorts Built on Barren Hills
It wasn’t until July 31st of this year, when Beijing and Zhangjiakou jointly won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, that Chongli County, as the venue for snow events, gradually entered the public eye. Situated about 50 kilometers northeast of Zhangjiakou, Chongli experiences long winters with low temperatures, where agriculture mainly consists of potato and oat cultivation, yielding limited income. Moreover, Chongli lies in a mountainous area upwind of Beijing, hindering industrial development. In 2003, policies banning mountain grazing and promoting the conversion of farmland back to forests and grasslands were implemented, tasking Chongli with windbreak and ecological afforestation projects, while livestock farming—the region’s primary income source—was also restricted. Even before jointly preparing the Olympic bid with Beijing, Chongli had yet to shake off its status as a poverty-stricken county.
However, Chongli’s rugged landscape of “mountains upon mountains and valleys within valleys” also brings abundant snowfall resources. With early snowfall, thick accumulations, and a long snow retention period, Chongli enjoys a milder winter climate compared to the snowier but harsher northeast, earning it the title of “North China’s most ideal natural skiing destination.”
As early as 1996, Shan Zhaojian, China’s first national skiing champion, and investor Guo Jing visited Chongli and discovered its skiing potential. They hired local farmers to manually carry snow up the mountains at a cost of a few jiao per bag, laying out a 300-meter ski slope—the region’s first ski resort, Sai Bei Ski Resort. With no chairlifts at the time, skiers had to take jeeps back up the mountain after descending. Despite the rudimentary equipment, the resort was just over 200 kilometers from Beijing, attracting many skiing enthusiasts. The resort made a net profit of over 200,000 yuan in its first year. Other resorts, such as Cuiyun Mountain Ski Resort, soon followed, and Chongli began “strapping on skis,” leveraging tourism resources like skiing to drive economic transformation and growth.
In 2003, the Longshan Ski Resort was established, becoming China’s first star-rated ski resort and the nation’s first national 4A-level scenic spot themed around skiing. Duan Jianjun, deputy director of the Longshan Ski Resort office, explained that when the resort first opened, skiing was not yet widely promoted in China, and most equipment had to be imported, resulting in high initial investments—a single ordinary snow cannon water nozzle, for instance, cost 20,000 yuan. After 2010, as ski resorts in Chongli proliferated and formed a cluster effect, the sport gained greater visibility, attracting more visitors. Domestic manufacturers of snowmaking equipment and other gear emerged, reducing investment costs for ski resorts.
Reflecting on the impact of successfully bidding for the Winter Olympics, Duan Jianjun admitted it presents a great opportunity for both the ski resorts and Chongli, boosting the resorts’ visibility and promoting skiing’s popularity. However, he also noted that post-Olympic success may trigger a new round of “reshuffling” among Chongli’s ski resorts, which will need to meet international standards—a significant challenge for the still-developing industry. To prepare for a potential surge in visitors, Longshan Ski Resort has added parking spaces and dining areas this year to maintain service quality. Duan Jianjun also revealed that to mitigate seasonal limitations, the resort is transforming into a full-fledged tourist destination, offering summer retreats and winter skiing to meet diverse visitor needs.
A Small Town with 23 Star-Rated Hotels
To many frequent visitors, Chongli has changed too rapidly. A decade ago, locals jokingly described the county town as “a bumpy road patrolled by a single cop, with one dim 15-watt streetlamp illuminating the entire town.” Nestled between two mountains, the town’s single main street could be walked end-to-end in half an hour, with only a handful of sparsely frequented restaurants. Now, driving into Chongli, visitors are greeted by a bustling array of eateries, including chains from well-known national restaurant brands, with parking spots scarce even on weekends.
Hai Yun, 22, has lived in Chongli her whole life. As a child, she often ran through the town’s alleys, knowing every snack shop. When it snowed, she and her friends would head to the hills, sliding down on plastic sheets or wooden planks, screaming with delight. She always insisted she couldn’t ski—those childhood games were just that, as no one had ever used proper skis or boots. But today’s Chongli is almost unrecognizable to her: “I don’t know how so many restaurants and hotels suddenly appeared, or why ski shops seem to have sprouted from the ground overnight.”
What surprises Hai Yun and most Chongli residents even more is the transformation of the new urban district. The Qingshui River runs through Chongli, with the old town on the west bank housing government offices, schools, and other key institutions. Though the old town has changed significantly, it largely retains Hai Yun’s childhood memories. The east bank, once lined with low-rise houses and narrow streets, was a place she avoided as a child. After demolition and redevelopment, the west bank has been completely transformed, now part of what Hai Yun sees as the new urban district.
Once widened, Yu Yuxing Road in the new district became a key route to several ski resorts and gradually evolved into the town’s main thoroughfare. Following the successful Olympic bid, 2022 Winter Olympics signage appeared across Chongli, and snowflake-shaped streetlamp decorations along the roadsides have become a local attraction. Many visitors capture these lights in their photos. Outdoor gear shops, travel agencies, and hotels now dominate the roadside, making this street the hub for Chongli’s holiday tourism.
Zhuang Xiaofei, head of the Chongli County Culture and Tourism Bureau, noted that around 2010, with the completion of multiple ski resorts, Chongli’s tourism industry entered a phase of rapid growth. The county now boasts five winter ski resorts and three summer sightseeing spots. In the first 11 months of 2015, it welcomed 2.249 million visitors, a nearly 30% year-on-year increase. Leveraging the Olympic bid, Chongli’s hospitality capacity has also improved, with 117 hotels and restaurants established, including 23 star-rated establishments. For a county whose main urban population is under 30,000, this is sufficient to meet tourist demand. Once the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail and Chongli branch line are operational, the ski resorts will be less than an hour’s drive from Beijing, driving a surge in visitors and further infrastructure development.
According to hotel staff, as the ski season approaches, room demand has surged. During weekends and holidays, rooms are nearly fully booked, requiring bookings at least two days in advance to secure availability.
Agritainment Expands to Welcome Guests
The rise of skiing has not only brought tourists to the resorts but also spurred growth in nearby villages. Along the roads from Chongli to the ski areas, villages once reliant on sheep and cattle farming have torn down walls and built agritainment businesses.
Poverty once plagued Huangtuzu Village. “We were so poor we couldn’t even afford alkaline noodles,” villagers recalled a decade ago, when homes were mostly crude adobe houses mixed with mud and earth. In August 2003, Longshan Ski Resort, Chongli’s first large-scale ski facility, officially opened. Just 3 kilometers from the resort, Huangtuzu villagers could see the ski lifts and crowds from their homes. The government encouraged residents to open agritainment businesses to provide accommodation for skiers, offering subsidies of several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan based on scale. However, most farmers, accustomed to planting crops and raising sheep, were hesitant due to unfamiliarity with the ski resort business. Liu Suying and five other families took the plunge, renovating their six-room home for over 40,000 yuan and opening one of Huangtuzu’s first six agritainment spots in December 2003.
By the end of the first ski season, Liu Suying was reaping the benefits, earning over 4,000 yuan in two months. Business exceeded expectations—the rooms for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day were often booked six months in advance. She expanded by converting three more rooms into guest accommodations. “Normally, rooms go for 130 to 150 yuan. Many Beijing tourists stay here, and some even leave contact info to recommend friends.”
Liu Suying noted that nearly 40 agritainment businesses have since opened in the village, varying in size. Some homes now offer 60–70 rooms, rivaling small hotels. Most are simple earthen kang beds or air-conditioned rooms amid gardens of fruit trees and flowers, appealing to urban visitors. Incomes vary, but Liu estimates the top households earn over 200,000 yuan annually, while even the lowest bring in 40,000–50,000 yuan.
After the Olympic bid success, villagers were thrilled. “More visitors mean better business.” Liu Suying found her nine existing rooms insufficient and expanded by leveling adjacent land to build a two-story building with 14 new rooms. However, heavy November snowfall and blocked roads, coupled with delayed infrastructure improvements, left the new rooms vacant. “I’ll finish decorating them next year for the next ski season.”
Confident in her business, Liu Suying is also excited by the ski resort’s growth. Her husband, one of the first ski resort employees, earns a stable 2,000+ yuan monthly wage with pension benefits, supplementing his income by helping at the agritainment during breaks. Her son, a certified ski instructor at the resort, even trained in Japan last year on the resort’s dime, earning over 10,000 yuan monthly—a salary that draws envy in a county where average wages hover around 2,000 yuan.
Housing Prices Enter the 10,000-Yuan Era
Rising housing and living costs are another concern. A week before the Olympic bid success, Chongli’s housing prices ranged from 5,000 to 7,000 yuan per square meter. Post-bid, prices surged to over 10,000 yuan per square meter, with premium properties starting at around 15,000 yuan.
Ms. Gong from Xiangxue Apartment’s sales center explained that the complex’s 1,500 units are priced from 12,800 yuan per square meter—about 2,000 yuan higher than pre-bid levels. Sixty percent of units have sold, with 90% of buyers from outside the region, half of them Beijingers. “The environment is great. Many buy here for vacations or as investments.”
A government employee lamented stagnant wages but rising costs: “Meals are 3–5 yuan more expensive than before. With a monthly salary of just over 2,000 yuan, the surge in housing and living expenses significantly impacts our quality of life.”
Skiing Remains a Luxury
“Have you gone skiing?” The Winter Olympics bid has made Chongli a household name, and visitors are often asked this question. Yet for many locals, skiing is more of a livelihood than a pastime—its high costs remain prohibitive.
To 22-year-old Hai Yun, skiing is still a pastime for the wealthy. With a monthly wage of just 2,000 yuan barely covering her expenses, a day on the slopes costs 400–500 yuan, while a basic ski suit can cost more than her monthly income.
Haiyun still misses the days when she used to ski on the mountain as a child—such activities brought her no stress at all. The changes in Chongli have caught her, who has lived here all her life, somewhat off guard. Every weekend during rush hour, the roads become a bit congested with the influx of out-of-town visitors driving in to ski, and even getting a meal at a restaurant requires waiting in line. “I’m afraid Chongli will become as crowded as a big city, with poor air quality and high living pressure.”
As for the future, Haiyun also has her own plans. Despite worrying that the surge of tourists may disrupt her peaceful life, she intends to open her own clothing store or restaurant after quitting her job. “With more people around, business will be better, and in the future my child can learn to ski and become a coach.” In her eyes, being a ski instructor is still a respectable job. She also looks forward to the promotion of skiing through the Winter Olympics being held in Chongli, giving more people the chance to get involved in the sport.