Danzel Djimon Dangleben, a first-time skier from the Caribbean, had his snowboarding experience in Shanghai this summer.
Despite outdoor temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, a resort in Shanghai maintains its interior at a chilly minus 10 C, creating the city's exclusive summer retreat — Shanghai L+ Snow Indoor Skiing Theme Resort in Lin-gang Special Area.
This resort, home to the world's largest indoor real-snow skiing facility, has been in trial operation phase, gearing up for the final sprint toward its official opening on Friday.
Dangleben, who visited the resort during the trial period, says: "I'm hesitant to venture outdoors due to the scorching weather, but I'm relishing the coolness here. It feels like winter. I never thought I'd find a place to ski during the summer."
Spanning a total construction area of nearly 350,000 square meters, the resort integrates dining, accommodation, entertainment, shopping, and leisure activities.
Its Snow World, covering more than 90,000 square meters, is the world's largest indoor real-snow skiing facility and hosts around 20 snow-themed entertainment activities.
"The whole place didn't feel real, while in there I wondered just how big the building really was. It exceeded my initial estimate and has left a deep impression on me. I loved the time I spent there and look forward to the next time I get to go there. It was exciting, especially the snowboarding. I really had fun," he adds.
The venue features four different difficulty levels of ski slopes, including a 340-meter-long advanced slope with a gradient of 26 degrees. Additionally, the venue provides a ski slope for beginners, along with coaching courses and a teaching trail.
Wang Tao, the resort's design director, says: "Traditional ski resorts are typically flat, expansive areas with ski slopes comprising a starting ground, ski, and buffer section. Due to space limitations in Lingang Special Area, we opted for vertical development, stacking three levels of ski slopes and recreational areas akin to mountains."
Moreover, the resort offers three ice and snow-themed hotels with close to 1,000 rooms, including 17 innovative "ski-in ski-out" suites enabling guests to step directly onto the slopes from their rooms.
