Russian ties, skiing resort help Jilin locales prosper

In Nanyang village in Shulan city, Jilin province, about half the residents do business in Russia, drawn by its proximity. With only about 100 households, the village has an average annual net income per person of 55,000 yuan ($7,585), higher than the national average.

Five years ago, villagers began transforming Nanyang into a Russian-style town. In addition to basic ice and snow tourism facilities, the village now features the Nanyang Museum, a Russian nesting doll factory and other attractions.

Walking through the village, visitors encounter European-style street lamps and Russian architecture, offering an exotic experience without leaving China.

Thirty years ago, Zhao Jingdong, a farmer from nearby Xiaocheng town, traveled to Russia in search of job opportunities. By 2003, he had established his own denim stall at Moscow's Izmailovo Market, the largest open-air wholesale market in Europe.

In 2023, Zhao helped launch a light textile processing factory in his hometown, with initial capital that included 300,000 yuan from the village collective, a personal investment of 300,000 yuan and 200,000 yuan from villagers. The factory, which produces artificial trees and luggage, has created jobs for nearly 30 residents from Nanyang and surrounding areas.

"With the diligent efforts of the villagers, our hometown has flourished over the past few decades," Zhao said. "It has become not only a beautiful tourist destination that welcomes more than 10,000 visitors annually, but also a hub for local industries. I feel very proud to be part of this."

The factory's first batch of products is scheduled for shipment to Russia in August.

Skiing boom in Yushu

About 100 kilometers northwest of Xiaocheng, Yushu county has been bustling this winter.

Chen Ren, who works in Beijing, returned home for the Chinese New Year holiday and spent every day skiing at a resort in Yushu.

"During the workweek, I'm too busy to go skiing, and resorts around Beijing can be expensive," said Chen, a resident of Fu'an village in Huancheng town. "I didn't expect the ski resort near my hometown to have such good snow quality these days."

The resort remained open throughout Spring Festival, attracting young people returning home for the holiday as well as visitors from surrounding counties. The facility has enriched the winter activities available to Yushu residents and nearby villagers.

This winter, the Yushu ski resort also welcomed a group of high school students. With the arrival of the new snow season, Yushu is actively promoting ice and snow sports in schools, organizing events and fostering a model of "ice and snow + sports" development, according to the local government.

The city has established seven national-level and 11 provincial-level ice and snow specialty schools.