Recently, Jilin City aired its winter tourism promotional video on CCTV under the theme "City of Rime, Skiing Paradise – Jilin City, the River City of the North." The dreamlike rime, premium and unique ice-snow hot spring zones, and top-tier domestic ski resorts have left countless viewers in awe.
Jilin City is the second-largest city in Jilin Province and the only prefecture-level city in China that shares its name with the province. With distinct seasons, diverse landforms, a long history, multiple ethnic groups, abundant resources, convenient transportation, and profound culture, it is a key northern Chinese tourist city with an elegant style and rich romance. Ice and snow sports are one of Jilin City’s standout tourism offerings. Last year, Jilin City was also named one of China’s Top Ten Ice and Snow Tourism Cities. When talking about “winter travel in Jilin,” Mr. Cao, an enthusiastic local resident, proudly said: “The snow quality in Jilin City is excellent, neither too soft nor too hard; there are many ski resorts with options for all levels; transportation is convenient, both within the city and in the suburbs; and the scenery is beautiful, with snow-covered willows along the frozen river. I truly believe my hometown is the best place for skiing!”
Ideal Temperature and Pure Snow: A Professional “Skiing Paradise”
Located in the golden latitude zone for snow and ice, Jilin City enjoys a more “friendly” winter outdoor temperature, allowing skiing enthusiasts and tourists from across the country to fully enjoy the sun and white snow outdoors without heavy gear and without fear of “extreme cold.” Due to the long snow accumulation period in winter, Jilin City has accumulated a large amount of pure natural snow, making it one of the world’s three major powder snow destinations and earning the title “Skiing Paradise.” Compared to many ski resorts in North China that rely heavily on artificial snow, powder snow is revered as the finest type of snow due to its “dense elasticity and non-chilling feel,” making it highly sought after in the skiing community and a favorite among professional skiers. Influenced by Jilin’s climate, the appropriate air conditions keep the powder snow dry, providing skiers with an ultimate skiing experience.
With its superior natural conditions, Jilin City has built world-renowned, Asia-top-tier, and domestically best professional ski resorts – the Beidahu Ski Resort and the Vanke Songhua Lake Ski Resort – as well as nine urban ski resorts including Zhueishan, Wujia Mountain, Lianhua Mountain, Jixue, and Mingshan Oasis. Both beginner skiers and advanced players can find suitable slopes.
The Songhua Lake Ski Resort boasts the longest alpine ski run in China; the Beidahu Ski Resort’s N3 slope leads to the summit of Jilin City’s highest peak, Nanlou Mountain. Standing atop the 1,400-meter mountain peak, visitors can fully enjoy the thrill of speed. Jilin City has also hosted various international and national snow sports competitions multiple times, and currently, the national snow sports training team is conducting intensive training here, making it a top-tier international ski resort that combines professional skiing and competitive training.
All-in-One Resort Centers: Winter Family Travel Destinations
Many ski resorts in Jilin City fully cater to “family trips” and “group travel” needs, creating integrated resort centers where children can have fun while parents can relax.
Beidahu Ski Resort
Suitable for family trips, the Beidahu Ski Resort is surrounded by mountains on three sides, ensuring wind-free slopes even when the weather is unfavorable, without affecting visitors’ skiing plans. The all-inclusive Beidahu Club Med allows guests to enjoy meals, drinks, outdoor entertainment, evening activities, and a kids’ club with just the room fee, making family travel more worry-free and enjoyable.
The Vanke Songhua Lake Resort is another great option for family trips. It features 34 high-quality ski runs with evenly distributed beginner, intermediate, and advanced slopes to match the needs of skiers of all levels. Additionally, its winter scenic ski runs offer stunning views of Songhua Lake and the dreamlike rime landscape. The LSR Kids Village, which integrates children’s daycare, camp education, a kids’ fun center, and a dedicated children’s ski park, along with the V-FUN Playground, Panda Snowman Children’s Ski School, and exclusive facilities such as the high-end Japanese-style Prince Hotel, Qing Shan Inn family-themed rooms, and Little V Restaurant, allow children to experience skiing, gourmet food, and other winter leisure activities in one comprehensive destination.
Vanke Songhua Lake Ski Resort
This year, various ski resorts have introduced preferential service policies, and a variety of ice and snow-themed events and competitions run throughout the ski season, allowing ice and snow enthusiasts to fully enjoy the joy of winter travel in Jilin City.
Rime, Hot Springs, and Gourmet Food: Ideal for Family “Winter Wellness”
“Watch the mist at night, see the rime in the morning, and admire the falling petals around noon.” Jilin Rime, known as one of China’s four major natural wonders, is even more spectacular on Rime Island. This fairytale-like ice and snow world, with its breathtaking beauty, is a “must-visit” spot recommended by major travel guide platforms. One netizen, after visiting Rime Island, exclaimed: “The enchanting ice and snow scenery of the north, Rime Island downstream of the Songhua River, is like a snowy fairyland. Every photo captures high-definition, stunning views.”
Hot springs are also a must-experience feature of winter travel in Jilin City. Jilin City has a 1,500-square-kilometer hot spring belt, with waters rich in over 30 types of beneficial minerals and trace elements such as radon, soda, magnesium, sodium, and sulfur. These are rare high-temperature springs in China, with water temperatures between 60°C and 75°C. The 80°C temperature difference of snow hot springs provides an incredibly unique experience for the body.
Additionally, Jilin City boasts rich and unique cultural tourism resources. The Manchu culture of Jilin City, including Shamanism, fishing and hunting traditions, food culture, wedding customs, and clothing culture, continues to this day; the Korean ethnic group’s folk songs and dances, cuisine, distinctive attire, and festive activities are uniquely charming; and landmarks of Hui culture such as mosques and the Arctic Food Street are distinctive.
“We’ve flown from Zhuhai to Jilin City to play in the snow for three years in a row. The folk culture here is very different from ours – sleeping on a heated brick bed and shucking corn cobs are very northeastern. And we all love Jilin’s Qingling live fish – it’s so fresh and flavorful. Then, soaking in a warm hot spring in this cold weather is simply delightful!” said Ms. Zhu.
Well-Connected and Convenient: Quality Urban Management Ensures Smooth Travel
Thanks to the rapid development of transportation in Jilin City, traveling here from across the country has become more convenient. Ski enthusiast Mr. Zhang told us: “Compared to other northeastern tourist cities, Jilin City is more accessible. There’s a direct 6-hour high-speed train from Beijing to Jilin, and the ski resorts here are close to both the airport and the city center. Every winter, bringing the whole family to ski in Jilin has become an essential trip.” As far as I know, ski resorts around the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region are relatively far from the main urban areas, making them less suitable for non-driving skiers, and they don’t have an advantage in transportation convenience compared to Jilin City.
For novice skiers, injuries during practice on the snow are not uncommon. The major ski resorts in Jilin City are close to the urban area, with the farthest being within 20 kilometers of a tertiary hospital. Compared to most ski resorts in China that are far from the city center with limited nearby medical facilities, Jilin City’s comprehensive transportation and medical support services provide strong guarantees for tourists’ winter skiing activities. In recent years, the successful hosting of major events in Jilin City such as the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, International Marathon Invitational, and Asian Ice Hockey League all demonstrate its excellent urban management capabilities and witness the city’s rapid development.
Professional ski resorts nurture professional talent. Wu Dajing, who won the gold medal in the men’s 500m short track speed skating final at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics this year and is one of the first “Ice and Snow Sports Ambassadors,” comes from the Jilin City team. With the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and the opportunity to “engage 300 million people in ice and snow sports,” Jilin City is vigorously developing its ice and snow sports industry and is fully committed to the slogan “The Olympics in Beijing, the Experience in Jilin.” The sincere and down-to-earth people of Jilin City are fully prepared and warmly invite friends from home and abroad to visit Jilin City to “admire the rime, play in the snow, soak in hot springs, and enjoy the folk culture,” and fully embrace this winter season.