Sit on a sled, cheer for the speeding athletes, enjoy the thrill of cross-country skiing while admiring the snow sculptures, or experience the chase through snowy forests... From Europe and the Americas to Asia, cross-country skiing enthusiasts are gradually realizing their ultimate dream. Ski resorts around the world are being visited and admired by more and more travelers. This premier winter sport is entering everyday life—not just as a sport, but as a symbol of self-transcendence...
On January 4, 2016, cross-country skiing enthusiasts from over 30 countries and regions will join the citizens of Changchun at the Jingyue National Scenic Area to enjoy an ice and snow extravaganza. In fact, the Jingyue Vasa Ski Festival has been successfully held for 13 editions. This year, it began on November 25 and will run until February 22, spanning a full 90 days. With a stunning world of snow sculptures, enchanting ice angels, ice dragon boat races, Snowy Adventure Tales, and joyful challenge events... you can play however you like and have fun in the snow.
Global Attention Turns to the "Jingyue Vasa Ski Festival" Again
The 2016 Changchun Jingyue Vasa International Ski Festival once again draws global attention, with national flags from various countries hanging prominently along fences on streets like Ecological Avenue and Fuzhi Avenue, standing out vividly against the white landscape.
This year, cross-country skiing enthusiasts from Sweden, Finland, the United States, Estonia, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic, Norway, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Canada, and more will experience the charm and excitement of China’s ski destination within the "largest man-made forest in Asia." While completing the races, they can also admire the scenery, view snow sculptures, and savor delicious food.
In 2003, the Vasa International Ski Festival came to China from its home in Sweden and settled in Changchun’s Jingyue National Scenic Area. Last year, the Jingyue Vasa Cross-Country Skiing event officially joined the Worldloppet organization (officially known as the Association of International Long Distance Ski Racing Competitions). This year’s race program includes the 2016 China Vasa International Cross-Country Ski Sprint Elite Race at Luming Valley, the 50km China Vasa Race and FIS Long Distance Points Race, the 25km Blueberry Vasa Race, the 5th National University Students’ Cross-Country Ski Race, and the Vasa Public Fun Race... Whether you're a professional or an amateur, you’ll find your place here.
Cross-Country Skiing Boosts China’s Winter Sports
From just over 700 participants in the first edition in 2003 to more than 30,000 this year, the Changchun Jingyue Vasa Ski Festival has grown over a decade into the city’s first major international sports event of the new year. On the opening day, up to 100,000 citizens participated, making it an indispensable winter ice and snow extravaganza in Changchun. Through hosting this international ski event, the Jingyue area has gradually developed into a hub for skiing in China and even Asia.
Skiing has evolved beyond a traditional sport into a new lifestyle.
With more and more people taking up and participating in skiing, its impact on China’s skiing movement is significant. The successful bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics means 2015 will surely be China’s “golden year” for skiing.
Recall that in July, at the Sochi Winter Olympics bid presentation in Kuala Lumpur, China Olympic Committee Chairman Liu Peng used footage of the Jingyue Vasa Ski Festival multiple times in his background presentation to showcase China’s development in winter sports—a clear recognition and support for the Changchun Vasa Cross-Country Ski Race.
Over the past decade, Jingyue has become a training base for China’s reserve cross-country skiing athletes, nurturing many outstanding domestic talents and laying a solid foundation for the development of China’s cross-country skiing. For example, it recommended top international coaches to the Chinese Ski Association, who then served as head coach of the Chinese Cross-Country Ski National Team, sent Chinese national team members to Sweden for winter cross-country skiing training, and found world-class wax technicians for the national team... With professional coaches, facilities, and wax technicians, Jingyue is perfecting its presence on the international competitive stage.
Greatest Appeal—Snow Sculpture Art Attracts Foreign Participants
With similar latitudes, beautiful surroundings, and the fusion of Sweden’s long-standing Vasa tradition with Changchun’s unique ice and snow culture, the Jingyue Vasa Ski Festival shows strong vitality and vast potential for growth.
Beyond its exceptional natural scenery, what sets the Jingyue Vasa Ski Festival apart from other international competition venues is its snow sculptures—one of the key attractions for foreign participants.
Have you seen the Colosseum and Milan Cathedral built from snow? Have you seen gladiators in the snow? Have you viewed snow artworks by masters like Ingres, Michelangelo, and Picasso? These are just the tip of the iceberg in the snow sculpture world. It’s reported that this year’s snow sculptures, while ensuring great sightseeing and experiential value, emphasize artistic appreciation and entertainment, with greater focus on cultural integration.
The Jingyue Snow World consists of two parts: the "Ice Amusement Zone" and the "Snow Sculpture Park." The tour route design draws inspiration from the Chinese garden concept of "shifting scenes with every step," divided into six main scenic areas. Covering a total area of 560,000 square meters and using an estimated 100,000 cubic meters of snow, the ice and snow products in the six themed zones—including "Snow Dance Charm"—aim to create a winter fairy tale world. While showcasing European charm, they skillfully incorporate traditional Chinese cultural elements. The collision and fusion of Eastern and Western cultures will be vividly presented through ice and snow art.
The snow has arrived, and the ice and snow feast has begun. Come to Jingyue and get active in the snow!
By Li Shen, New Culture Reporter