Beijing and Hebei's Zhangjiakou have jointly applied to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, putting Zhangjiakou's Chongli District in the spotlight. Supporting China’s bid and continuing the "pride of the nation" has become a social responsibility that Chongli’s ski resorts must shoulder. On November 5, Dolomiti Ski Resort, located in Chongli County, Zhangjiakou, partnered with the Swiss Tourism Board and the Swiss National Snowsports Centre to establish the first China-Switzerland International Ski Academy in China.
At the opening ceremony of the ski academy, Wang Li, Chairman of Dolomiti Ski Resort, stated that as skiing becomes a popular recreational activity, more and more people are hitting the slopes in winter. However, beginners who lack proper technique and struggle to grasp the fundamentals often give up after one or two minor injuries due to fear, which led Dolomiti to consider creating a domestic ski academy. This collaboration with the Swiss National Snowsports Centre aims to establish China’s first internationally managed, Sino-foreign cooperative ski academy. Its goals include training professional ski instructors, athletes, and researchers, as well as promoting mass skiing and developing scientific teaching methods.
According to reports, Dolomiti Ski Resort currently has eight ski runs totaling over eight kilometers, categorized by national standards into green, blue, and black slopes for beginners, intermediates, and advanced skiers respectively. To mark the academy’s launch, an internationally recognized ski teaching system and instructor certification program have been introduced from Switzerland. All instructors have undergone unified training and assessment by the Swiss National Snowsports Centre, and a systematic, rigorous ski instruction curriculum has been established to standardize China’s ski education market. Over the next two weeks, Swiss instructors will train nearly 100 Dolomiti ski coaches, providing targeted instruction based on their skill levels and the requirements of different slopes. Additionally, the Dolomiti Ski Academy will regularly offer free public ski lessons and a variety of ski courses for guests, helping them master skiing skills and safety knowledge, adding an extra layer of assurance to their enjoyment and actively promoting the development of the ski industry.Customers will be able to accurately acquire skiing skills and understand safety knowledge, adding a layer of security to their enjoyment and contributing positively to the growth of the ski industry.
Wang Li revealed that the establishment of the Dolomiti Ski Academy will create a long-term platform for exchanges between Chinese and Swiss ski instructors. Each season, outstanding instructors from the academy will have the opportunity to train at the Swiss Snowsports Centre, receiving an internationally recognized ski instructor certification upon completion.
Chongli County, located in northwestern Hebei Province, boasts excellent air quality, early snowfall in winter, a snow retention period of over 150 days, and soft snow quality, making it an ideal region for ski industry development according to Chinese ski experts. Its proximity to Beijing and Tianjin provides a unique geographic advantage, ensuring strong visitor traffic. Statistics show that up to 1.42 million people visit Chongli for skiing and tourism each season. Among them, Dolomiti Ski Resort stands out for its international-grade high-end facilities, high-quality slope construction, and personalized services, making it highly popular among skiers. Dolomiti Ski Resort is situated in Xique Liang, Sitai Zui Township, Chongli County, 226 kilometers from Beijing and 18 kilometers from the county town. Originally co-invested by world-renowned ski equipment manufacturer LEITNER and Italy’s DOLOMITI Super Ski Group, which operates a modern ski area with 450 slopes, it was equipped with China’s first high-speed enclosed gondola with wind protection. To support teaching needs, this year Dolomiti also hired the Italian Yibu team to develop a stylish ski park, forest trails, a children’s zone, and other ski and snow play areas, along with two newly opened backcountry zones to cater to the diverse needs of skiers and offer them varied forms of “joy.”