Seeing the sudden snowfall, Gong Hao could hardly stay put and immediately organized a skiing team with friends. Early last Saturday morning, the group set off from Beijing bound for Chongli.
Compared to Beijing, Chongli received significantly more snowfall last weekend. According to monitoring data from the Chongli County Meteorological Bureau, as of 8 a.m. last Friday, the snow depth in various towns across Chongli generally exceeded 15 centimeters, with some areas reaching 25 centimeters, and precipitation measured 18.3 millimeters. Snow depth at several ski resorts reached up to 30 centimeters.
This year’s first major snowfall arrived earlier than usual, and among Chongli’s large ski resorts, only Wanlong Ski Resort had opened for business. Many skiing enthusiasts, like Gong Hao, flocked here for the first weekend after the snowfall. By noon, the parking lot at the base of the mountain was already full. On the beginner slope near the resort entrance, numerous novice skiers gathered, slowly moving forward step by step, often taking tumbles.
“This sudden heavy snowfall has given the resort a great start. The first skiing season in Chongli following Beijing’s successful Winter Olympics bid began more than 10 days earlier than in previous years,” said a spokesperson from Wanlong Ski Resort. In recent days, the resort has been receiving continuous calls from skiers booking tickets and hotels, and it is expected that visitor numbers will continue to rise in the near future.
According to resort statistics, last Saturday, the ski resort welcomed nearly 1,500 skiing visitors, three times the number before the first snowfall. “Beijing visitors accounted for over 80% of that total,” a relevant department head at Wanlong Ski Resort explained.
Following Beijing’s successful Winter Olympics bid, Beijing and Zhangjiakou have entered their first winter together, and enthusiasm for ice and snow sports among residents in both cities has grown even stronger. “During last year’s skiing season, the number of skiers increased by 80%; this year’s season is expected to see a 100% increase,” a relevant department head at Wanlong Ski Resort revealed to reporters. Last year’s season saw 110,000 skiers at the resort, and with the increasing Olympic atmosphere this year, the estimated number of skiing visitors is expected to reach 200,000.
It is understood that with the arrival of the first major snowfall of winter, Chongli’s Secret Garden · Genting, Dolomiti, Great Wall Ridge, and Taiwu Four Seasons ski resorts will also gradually open in November. Additionally, it was reported that some ski resorts within the city have also begun trial snowmaking. Once temperature conditions are met, these resorts will open without delay. (Reported by Cao Zheng, correspondent Liu Ping)