Mountains dance like silver snakes as spring surges — Yakeshi welcomes its spring skiing carnival

 

　　In the warm spring, the south is ablaze with blossoms and vibrant with seasonal cheer; yet Yakeshi, the forest city, still dons a landscape of dancing silver peaks — a true northern panorama.

　　Known as the “Capital of China’s Forestry Industry and Homeland of Ice and Snow,” Yakeshi lies right on the 50th parallel north, atop the Greater Khingan Mountains, and ranks among China’s top six county-level cities. Forests cover 78% of its land, spanning 21,520 square kilometers — an area equivalent to that of Changchun City. Leveraging its unique geographical features, the city has meticulously crafted two flagship brands: green (forest tourism) and silver (winter sports). The green theme, naturally, refers to forest tourism. During July, August, and September, the Greater Khingan Mountains are lush and verdant — tender greens, emerald hues, deep greens, and dark greens roll in waves from the horizon like ocean swells. People can’t help but exclaim: “What a sea of trees!” Countless waves are actually the sea of flowers, while darting amid the woods are graceful roe deer and sika deer. It’s magnificent. Many often lament, “Too bad this beauty only lasts three months — it’s far too short!” But does the absence of green mean the region loses its vibrancy and hope? Not at all. Starting early October each year, Yakeshi enters months of “rivers and mountains sealed in ice and snow,” lasting until mid-May when icicles still cling to cliffs and rime fades from tree branches. The landscape remains blanketed in white. This silvery world offers even more breathtaking sights. Thus, the city is committed to building an ecological city with frigid-zone mountain, water, and garden features, creating pristine landscapes rich in regional character. Throughout the seven-and-a-half-month heating season — especially the five months of prime snow — they transform forests into a fairytale ice-and-snow wonderland. As the central hub for winter tourism in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the city aims to establish itself as an “International Winter Sports Event Base” and a “Chinese Sanctuary for Snow and Ice Recreation.” Its forest, ecological, and snow tourism brands have gained prominence. The unique snow culture shaped by 430,000 residents of Mongolian, Ewenki, Oroqen, and Russian ethnicities has made this snowy expanse extraordinarily charming, attracting over 100,000 domestic and international winter sports, photography, and travel enthusiasts annually.

　　In recent years, capitalizing on its exceptional cold-climate resources, the city has invested nearly 600 million yuan to develop a fully enclosed, comprehensive eco-tourism zone spanning 132 square kilometers. This site can accommodate nearly a thousand skiers, along with lodging and conference facilities. Last year, it was designated a national modern service industry base. For nine consecutive years, it has successfully hosted the Hulunbuir Ice and Snow Festival and the Phoenix Mountain Ski International Invitational. For three consecutive years, it has also organized three FIS Cross-Country Skiing Summer Tours, National Youth Championships, Cross-Country Skiing Championships, International Mountain Bike Cross-Country Races, and International Car Cross-Country Competitions. Additionally, through large-scale folk cultural events, the city showcases its millennia-old forest heritage, propelling this century-old border town into the limelight.

　　Snow and ice carry boundless dreams, and sports foster human health. The entire city is pooling efforts to continuously strengthen the development of both software and hardware for the “Cross-Country Skiing National Team Training Base” and the “Biathlon National Team Training Base,” striving to make Phoenix Mountain China’s Alps and contribute anew to the growth of China’s winter sports.

　　Now is the perfect time to visit Phoenix Mountain for spring skiing. As temperatures gradually rise, skiing sheds its seasonal constraints and ushers in a silver wave of springtime excitement. On April 1st, the finals of the 2012–2013 National Cross-Country Skiing Championship — a seven-day event — reignited the “Phoenix Mountain Skiing Craze.” Then on the 9th, the Autonomous Region Youth Cross-Country Skiing Championship kicked off here, further intensifying the skiing fever.

　　The fact that both this championship and a national training base have chosen Yakeshi speaks volumes about the region’s superior snow and ice conditions. Many skiing enthusiasts told us, “Skiing in April at Phoenix Mountain is the most thrilling experience. It gives you the feel of European Alpine resorts — sunshine glistening on the snow. Despite the snowy landscape, a spring breeze greets you. Skiers no longer endure harsh winter cold and can fully embrace the vitality of spring.” This mild spring snow is a huge draw for both skiing novices wary of the cold and avid enthusiasts not yet ready to let go of the season. Here, you can ski on machine-groomed slopes and explore wild snow trails stretching over 10 li. Successfully conquering the wild snow course — even if you’re drenched in sweat — brings an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

　　The Winter Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China has designated Phoenix Mountain in Yakeshi as the “Cross-Country Skiing National Team Training Base” and the “Biathlon National Team Training Base,” marking a qualitative leap in cross-country skiing within the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

　　After multiple inspections, the Winter Sports Management Center concluded that Phoenix Mountain Ski Resort is currently the largest in Inner Mongolia, with the most diverse ski runs, the widest range of snow sports, and the longest skiing season. The resort features seven ski runs — beginner, intermediate, and advanced — totaling 5,753 meters in length. The maximum vertical drop is 400 meters, with a steepest slope of 45 degrees and an average of 28 degrees. The average snow depth in winter exceeds 50 centimeters, reaching up to 1 meter in some areas, and the snow quality is excellent. Experts and coaches unanimously agree that Hulunbuir’s Yakeshi is highly suitable for developing high-standard biathlon and cross-country skiing bases. Consequently, China’s first cross-country skiing and biathlon training base was established here.

　　This time, the Winter Sports Management Center named six national-level training bases, with Yakeshi securing two spots. The designation is valid from January 1, 2013, to January 1, 2017 — a total of four years.

　　On April 1st, at the unveiling ceremony for the National Biathlon National Team Training Base and Cross-Country Skiing National Team Training Base held at Phoenix Mountain Ski Resort in Yakeshi, Tong Lixin, Deputy Director of the Winter Sports Management Center, praised the resort’s beautiful environment, spacious terrain, and excellent snow quality. He noted that the establishment of these two cross-country skiing training bases in Yakeshi will undoubtedly drive the development of cross-country skiing in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

　　When discussing the championship being held in Yakeshi, Tong Lixin said that Hulunbuir, located at China’s northernmost tip, boasts abundant snow and ice resources — an ideal place for winter sports. Skiing has long been a traditional strength of Hulunbuir, having nurtured and produced many outstanding athletes who have achieved remarkable results in major domestic and international competitions. Phoenix Mountain Ski Resort in Yakeshi has successfully hosted numerous cross-country skiing events and has extensive experience in event organization. The 2012–2013 National Cross-Country Skiing Championship is the highest-level domestic cross-country skiing competition and the final event of this season’s championship series. It adopts the same format as the Winter Olympics, thus serving as part of the preparation for next year’s Sochi Games. The event aims to evaluate China’s training progress for Sochi, improve performance through competition, train teams, and vigorously promote the popularization and development of cross-country skiing.

　　Centering on the dual themes of “silver” and “green,” Yakeshi continues to refine its industrial system for winter sports and tourism under a model of “government leadership, market-driven operations, and multi-sector social participation.” It is enhancing and optimizing the development of seven major scenic areas covering a total planned area of 1,000 square kilometers. By integrating tourism resources around these “Seven Characteristic Scenic Areas,” the city is crafting a premium tourism corridor centered on Phoenix Mountain and Shierligou, connecting northern and southern routes into a cohesive premium travel belt that aligns with the broader tourism frameworks of Hulunbuir and Northeast China.

　　In 2012, Yakeshi launched the Asia-Pacific region’s largest international hunting ground project, with a total investment of 16 billion yuan. Construction began on a hunting club and a five-star forest culture-themed hotel, along with projects such as a forest culture park, snowmobile club, luxury villas, and star-rated hotels. The city is accelerating the development of ten high-end tourism sectors — including winter sports, car test drives, equestrian clubs, aviation clubs, hunting, exhibition services, elderly care, and leisure vacations — as well as ten major event activities, aiming to achieve new breakthroughs in Hulunbuir’s and even the autonomous region’s tourism industry.

　　Currently, Yakeshi’s tourism industry economic indicators are growing at an average annual rate of 10%. It is projected that by 2015, total tourism revenue will reach 1.7 billion yuan. By the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan period, the city expects to have hosted 4.9 million domestic and international tourists, generating a total tourism income of 7.07 billion yuan. The tourism industry will become a powerful engine driving the rapid development of the tertiary sector and a key pillar supporting Yakeshi’s sustained socioeconomic growth.

　　Showcasing a “Trump Card” to the World

　　With keen foresight, Yakeshi has leveraged its locational, resource, and ethnic cultural strengths. Guided by macro-level strategies, it has transformed its “cold resources” into a “hot economy.” Today, Phoenix Mountain in Yakeshi has become China’s largest enclosed comprehensive eco-tourism destination. The Fengguan Ski Resort, along with Yakeshi’s National Modern Service Industry Base and Winter Automotive Testing Industrialization Base, are all “China’s Best” — the three “trump cards” Yakeshi presents to the world.

　　China’s Largest Ski Resort — Fengguan Ski Resort. Making full use of its exceptional cold-climate advantages, Yakeshi has further improved its winter tourism infrastructure to build a base for domestic and international snow tourism and events, fostering emerging tourism industries. Construction of Fengguan Ski Resort began in 2008. Located 30 kilometers southeast of Yakeshi in the Phoenix Mountain Comprehensive Scenic Area — China’s largest enclosed eco-tourism zone — it sits 13 kilometers from Phoenix Mountain Ski Resort and spans 22 square kilometers. Fengguan Ski Resort lies on the western edge of the main ridge of the Greater Khingan Mountains. Its highest peak stands at 987.5 meters above sea level. The mountain’s topography, slope orientation, and snow conditions meet world-class standards. Its ski lift is 2,818 meters long — currently the longest in China and the third longest in Asia.

　　China’s Largest Enclosed Eco-Tourism Scenic Area — Phoenix Mountain Comprehensive Scenic Area. To further implement its “Forest-Centric City” strategy, Yakeshi has established enclosed zones in the Phoenix Mountain Comprehensive Scenic Area, enforcing conservation management. This allows forest and wildlife resources in the area to recover and thrive, enhancing the scenic area’s appeal and reputation. It also promotes the development of the city’s high-tech industrial park, gradually transforming the enclosed zone into an integrated tourism destination for car testing, summer tourism, and winter skiing.

　　Implementing fencing projects is an effective way for the city to restore and develop forest resources, as well as to consolidate and expand afforestation achievements, protect existing woodlands, improve forest structure, and accelerate ecological construction.

　　Currently, Yakeshi has released reindeer, sika deer, roe deer, wild boar, foxes, and wolves within the 132-square-kilometer enclosed scenic area. The zone also cultivates wild berry seedlings such as mountain ash, bird cherry, wild rose, apricot, and sea buckthorn. This scenic area will become a modern tourism and sightseeing zone integrating primary and tertiary industries, complementing nearby attractions like Balin Lama Mountain, Chuo Yuan, Wuerqihan National Forest Park, and the Greater Khingan Ridge Sightseeing Belt.

　　Automotive Testing Advances to National Level. On December 10, 2012, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued a notice recognizing Yakeshi’s National Modern Service Industry Winter Automotive Testing Industrialization Base, officially designating the Asia-Pacific Winter Automotive Testing High-Tech Industrial Development Zone in Yakeshi as the National Winter Automotive Testing Industrialization Base.

　　The Yakeshi Asia-Pacific Winter Automotive Testing High-Tech Industrial Development Zone was approved as a regional-level high-tech industrial development zone by the Autonomous Region People's Government in December 2009, and is the only high-tech industrial development zone in Yakeshi City. The project plans to invest 650 million RMB. Currently, five new ice testing grounds have been built within the high-tech zone. Communication and coordination with domestic and international automotive manufacturers have been established, showing significant results, paving the way for more automakers to settle in.

　　According to industry experts, the Yakeshi National Modern Service Industry Winter Automotive Testing Industrialization Base not only fills the market gap for large-scale winter automotive testing in the Asia-Pacific region, but its establishment will also form a tripartite balance with Detroit in the Americas and Arjeplog in Europe. It provides a professional testing environment for Asian automobile manufacturers and auto parts manufacturers, which will greatly promote the innovative development of China’s and even Asia’s automotive testing industry, with broad market potential in the future.

　　Yakeshi also showcases its natural resources of "fire and ice" through off-season skiing.

　　In June, the one-million-square-meter Phoenix Lake shimmers with blue waves, while wild ducks, swans, and grey cranes play in Yunlong Lake, Shangfeng Lake, Xiafeng Lake, and Sun Lake. These five man-made lakes on Phoenix Mountain are truly breathtaking against a backdrop of wildflowers across the mountains. At this time, the white ski slopes of Fengguan Ski Resort under the blue sky look especially beautiful. Skiers dressed in summer sportswear speed by. Surrounded by lush green mountains and accompanied by the chirping of birds, visitors feel as if they have entered another world, experiencing a transcendent sense of serenity. This was a scene from the 2012 FIS Cross-Country Skiing China Yakeshi Summer Tour.

　　A total of 49 contestants from China, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Italy, and other countries, along with tourists from across the country and colleagues from sister cities and banners, were treated to a visual feast, fully appreciating Yakeshi’s beautiful and magical natural scenery where mountains embrace lakes, forests reflect water, and snow complements grass, blending winter and summer. They also experienced the bold, action-oriented, and pioneering spirit of the people of Yakeshi.

　　Today, Yakeshi has developed a new tourism industry system focusing on forest sightseeing, eco-tourism, winter sports events, and winter automotive testing experiences, positioning the city at the forefront of winter tourism in Hulunbuir and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.