Urumqi ski resort first to open this winter

Urumqi became China's first city to open a ski resort on Oct 29 with 4,000 eager skiers taking to the slopes.

The Silk Road International Ski Resort said that it is the first time it has opened in October since its founding 13 years ago.

Many skiers just couldn’t wait and arrived at the resort early on Oct 29.

"The ski resort is great. The snow has been compacted," said Zhang Xiaobo, a skiing enthusiast who went out with his friends on that first day.

Huang He, vice president of the international ski resort, said that the snow on the ski slope is usually manmade.

"We bought another 12 snowmaking machines and were able to start making snow on Oct 19 thanks to the lower temperature this year," he said.

Skiing is a favorite sport for people in the Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region. The 13th National Winter Games of China held in Urumqi this year have bestowed a high grade ski track on the city which has attracted a large number of visitors from across China.

Urumqi ski resorts plan to hold various activities hoping more people will give skiing a try. For example, Urumqi will invite one million people to ski together on Nov 19.

Urumqi people only need to pay 100 yuan ($14.8) to ski on the snow track of the 13th National Winter Games. The Silk Road Holiday Resort will also open a hot spring and hold a light show adding yet more charm to Urumqi's ski environment.

By Qiu Guizhen and edited by Peter Nordlinger?