Winter sports push tourism in NE China's Jilin

RESORTS, GLOBAL EVENTS DRIVE JILIN'S WINTER TOURISM

Known for deep, compact powder snow and relatively mild winds, Jilin is home to Beidahu, Asia's largest single-body ski resort, and Lake Songhua Resort, which has been named China's best ski resort by the World Ski Awards for nine consecutive years. The two resorts have also led China in visitor numbers for five straight seasons.

In recent years, Jilin has relied on high-level competitions to promote winter sports and tourism.

Each year, the China Changchun Jingyuetan Vasaloppet International Ski Festival opens the season at Jingyuetan National Forest Park. One of the world's largest cross-country skiing events, it has been held 24 times and has attracted more than 1.2 million participants.

At the 2026 edition, 2,227 athletes and enthusiasts from 33 countries and regions, including Sweden, the Czech Republic and Poland, competed in Changchun.

"This is my second time at Vasaloppet China. I celebrated my 66th birthday here and my bib number was also 66," said Polish skiing enthusiast Halina Olejniczak. "I love the skiing environment and atmosphere here. I will bring my family next year."

"I enjoyed the speed of the race and the undulating track. The water stations along the route were very thoughtful and helped me perform well," said Anna Melnika, champion of the women's 25-kilometer group from Kazakhstan. "I know the Winter World University Games will be held here next year, and I believe it will be just as spectacular."

Changchun will host the 33rd Winter World University Games, also known as the Winter Universiade, and has accelerated venue upgrades and preparations. With more than 300 days to go, the provincial capital is preparing to welcome student athletes from around the world.

Driven by these events, interest in winter sports has risen across the province. For the 2025-26 season, Jilin launched the 12th National Public Ice and Snow Season.

In Changchun, a 300,000-square-meter urban ice and snow sports park has been built at Siji South River Park. The site includes a 5.7-kilometer illuminated cross-country ski track integrated into public city space, allowing residents to access winter sports close to home. Activities such as snow football, flag football and tug-of-war have also been introduced.

The "Ice and Snow Silk Road" Cup Powder Snow League has staged events in key tourist areas including Jilin City and Changbai Mountain, combining racing with cultural experiences such as rime viewing and hot springs. Attractions such as Changbai Mountain's Cloud Top Palace and the winter fishing tradition at Chagan Lake have also drawn increased attention.