By GONG Qian & ZHU Xi

"It is really a great experience!" a snowboarding lover, surnamed Bin, told Science and Technology Daily.

As a beginner, Bin has chosen the Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort in Altay City, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in northwest China, for his first try at snowboarding.

It took him over 10 hours of flight to arrive at Altay from Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in south China, a distance of about 4,300 km.  

"The resort is very close to downtown Altay, taking 10-odd minutes of driving," Bin said. "So it is very convenient for us newbies."

The Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort has become an ideal skiing destination in recent years. A series of entertainment projects, dining services, guest houses and other facilities have been constructed and upgraded to give snow enthusiasts a better skiing experience. It has welcomed a large number of tourists since the opening of its ski season in early November.

Shi Zhiqiang, deputy general manager of the Xinjiang Altay Tourism Group, told S&T Daily 72 ski trails have been built to cater to skiers with different ability levels.

Le Wen, a veteran snowboarder, comes to Altay every year to enjoy the ice and snow. Her five-year son is learning snowboarding in the resort and Le thinks he has become braver and more capable of dealing with stress since then. She is hoping her younger child will also fall in love with the sport.

After China was chosen to host the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, ski sports have become hugely popular, especially among young people. Le has seen the number of skiers coming to Altay rising.

She has rented a house in the city to enjoy the snow season. "We’re going to stay here for two months," Le told S&T Daily.

This year, the resort cooperated with Club Med Ski Academy from France, bringing in international coaches to train its certified ski instructors so that they can provide more specialized training courses, Shi said.

"I have been working in many different ski resorts in Russia and abroad like Finland and Austria. Compared to ski resorts in European countries, this is a really good one. It looks really amazing," Russian coach Marina Denisova told S&T Daily. "I love the snow conditions of the resort. The slopes are well prepared and arranged."

It is Denisova's first visit to China. She will work in the Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort for the whole 2023-2024 snow season.

The resort is also providing more new services such as electric music performances at sunset, offering skiers the charm of music, a beautiful scenery and skiing at the same time.

"The atmosphere is so pleasant and relaxing," Bin said. " I'll definitely come back next year."

A snowboarder rushes down at the Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort. (PHOTO: S&T Daily/GONG Qian)

Veteran snowboarder Le Wen and her five-year-old son enjoy the ice and snow at the Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort. (PHOTO: S&T Daily/GONG Qian)

A mountain café at the Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort. (PHOTO: S&T Daily/GONG Qian)

A panoramic view of the Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort. (PHOTO: S&T Daily/GONG Qian)

A child at the Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort. (PHOTO: S&T Daily/GONG Qian)

A coach teaches beginners how to ski at the Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort. (PHOTO: S&T Daily/GONG Qian)

A coach teaches a child how to ski at the Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort. (PHOTO: S&T Daily/GONG Qian)