The International Vasaloppet Ski Festival, the Asian Winter Games, FIS World Cup skiing events, the Winter Games... In recent years, a series of international and domestic competitions have drawn significant attention. With zip lines soaring overhead and ski runs crisscrossing the landscape, not only has the number of domestic ski resorts surged, but their construction standards have also continued to align with international norms. Places like Yabuli, Beidahu, and Changbai Mountain—silver dreams now blanket the rolling mountain ranges as China’s skiing sport gradually captures the world’s eye.
Continuous improvement in venue construction to meet new FIS standards
“Ten years ago, there were fewer than 10 ski resorts in the province. Now, Jilin has built nearly 100 ski resorts of various sizes, including Beidahu, Jingyuetan, and Lianhuashan,” said Guo Zhongjun, director of the Changchun Municipal Sports Bureau. With the growing popularity of skiing, Jilin Province has increased its investment in snow sports, and more people are taking up the activity.
The snow events of the 12th National Winter Games are in full swing at the Beidahu Ski Resort. Yan Xiaojuan, head of the Skiing Department I at the Winter Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, said: “Take the freestyle skiing moguls competition venue, for example—we set very high standards. Right after the Winter Games, a FIS World Cup event will be held here. The design, construction, and snowmaking of this venue all follow the latest FIS standards.” Liu Peng, Director of the General Administration of Sport of China and head of the 12th Winter Games Organizing Committee, also noted that freestyle moguls is a relatively new sport in China, and Beidahu’s venue is the first in the country to meet international standards for moguls competitions.
Shen Zhiyuan, director of the Sports Tourism Bureau of the Jilin Beidahu Sports Tourism Economic Development Zone, said: “Our expansion and construction of venues aim to raise standards. As skiing grows, FIS standards continue to rise. The halfpipe venue has been expanded from its original size, with significant changes in width, depth, and length. The 90-meter jump and moguls venue are also more ideal, more perfect, and better aligned with the new international standards.”
All professional ski runs at the Yabuli Ski Resort have received A-level certification from FIS, making it a comprehensive ski resort capable of hosting top-tier FIS international events. It now features venues for all winter sports currently practiced in China, including alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, freestyle skiing, and biathlon.
Niu Xuesong, head strength and conditioning coach for the national team, said many people assume foreign venues are better, but domestic ones are also excellent. “Overall, China’s venues are maintained reasonably well. Some overseas venues aren’t prepared as thoroughly as ours—they’re often rushed and flattened right after events, many being temporary. Ours are year-round training bases, so the overall conditions are better.”
Accelerated improvement in competitive level—breaking out of Asia and heading for the world
China’s northeastern region is a major hub for winter sports development and the earliest area to engage in such activities, boasting a strong winter sports tradition. It has not only hosted many major international and domestic winter sports events but also nurtured a large number of outstanding winter athletes for the country.
With the increase in winter sports competitions in China, Chinese athletes are beginning to show their medal potential in snow events. Acceleration, takeoff, rotation, somersaults, landing, and gliding—freestyle skiing aerials is one of China’s strengths in snow sports. The women’s team is generally among the world’s top tier. Li Nina said: “Previously, women ranked higher internationally in this event than men. But now, we’re seeing more and more talented male athletes, and the overall competitiveness of the men’s team has significantly improved internationally.”
Niu Xuesong, head strength and conditioning coach for the freestyle skiing aerials national team, said: “Currently, our strong female athletes include Xu Mengtao, Cheng Shuang, and Zhang Xin. Among the rising talents, kids like Kong Fanyu and Xu Sicun have gradually reached world-class levels. Cheng Shuang was world No. 1 last year, and Xu Mengtao was No. 2. The men’s level is also rising and getting closer to the world’s top ranks.”
Zhang Chengye, an athlete from the People’s Liberation Army team, believes that snow events have long been a weak spot for China. But in recent years, with support from the Olympic strategy, biathlon in China has received strong backing. Through collective efforts, China’s biathlon performance has improved markedly, becoming one of the country’s strong suits in snow sports and one of the events earning the most medals in Asian and world skiing competitions.
“All our events are progressing steadily. Our goal is to break out of Asia and head for the world!” said Yan Xiaojuan. Events like halfpipe and ski jumping are well-suited to Chinese athletes. Performance improvements in recent years have been rapid, and further progress is expected in these areas. Currently, snowboarding isn’t yet widely popular in China, but with its youthful appeal, it’s believed the sport will soon grow and become a beloved winter activity.
Growing enthusiast base and rising international attention
As part of the 2012 China Changchun Jingyuetan Vasaloppet International Ski Festival series, 60,000 university students will receive free skiing training at Jingyuetan. The training is mainly aimed at students from universities in Changchun, with 60,000 students from 20 universities receiving guidance from national-level ski coaches. Wang Jiutai, head of the Jingyuetan Ski Resort, said: “The Vasaloppet series has been running for over 10 years, with participants from 46 countries and regions and thousands of world-class skiers taking part in past Changchun events. Now, 500,000 people in Changchun participate in various skiing training programs every year.”
Song Jixin, director of the Jilin Provincial Sports Bureau, said the Vasaloppet series, after 10 years, has gradually turned university students into recipients, carriers, and promoters of skiing. “National fitness starts at universities. With universities offering skiing classes and promoting the sport among students, their skiing skills are steadily improving.”
Gao Xuedong, head of the Mass Winter Sports Department at the Winter Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, said: “Skiing has entered people’s daily lives. The public has gone from being unfamiliar with skiing to getting to know it and then participating themselves. Previously, only professionals skied. Now, the public is getting involved, especially around Beijing, where the number of skiers is growing rapidly.”
“In the future, we definitely want to establish a skiing school to start training kids early, because the public’s enthusiasm also shapes the market,” said Shen Zhiyuan, director of the Sports Tourism Bureau of the Jilin Beidahu Sports Tourism Economic Development Zone. In the past, many ski resorts believed only having advanced slopes made them legitimate, but now, relying solely on hardcore enthusiasts can’t sustain a resort. So, many have expanded beginner slopes and added skiing schools to involve more people in the sport.
Reporters at the 12th National Winter Games venue observed many foreign athletes using the competition gap for training. “Every year, quite a few foreign athletes come here to train. Almost all well-known ski resorts in China host foreign athletes for training, which shows our ski facilities are recognized by many countries,” said Shen Zhiyuan.
The popularization of mass skiing also helps improve competitive skiing standards, laying the foundation for China to achieve good results at the Asian Winter Games and the Winter Olympics, thereby showcasing China’s overall national strength. Liu Peng, Director of the General Administration of Sport of China, stated during the 12th Winter Games: “In recent years, the Asian Winter Games, the Universiade Winter Games, and several Winter Olympics we’ve participated in have received strong promotional efforts, helping the public gain deeper understanding and appreciation for skiing. As a result, skiing has become an important aspect of national fitness.”
Li Fengqiao, chief gate judge for alpine skiing at the National Winter Games, also believes the increasing number of skiers and their enthusiasm will drive upgrades in domestic ski resorts. Meanwhile, large ski resorts or ski resorts with comprehensive facilities and advanced amenities will, in turn, attract more people to take up the sport.