Beijing's skiing season starts half a month earlier than usual
Recently, it was learned from more than 10 ski resorts in Beijing that this year's ski season started about 15 days earlier due to the cold weather. Last year, most ski resorts in Beijing were scheduled to start trial operations around December 5th and 6th, but this year, as early as this weekend, about eight ski resorts have already begun trial or official operations.
Ski resorts in Chongli County, Zhangjiakou, opened even earlier. Around November 7th, Wanlong Ski Resort welcomed its first visitors of the season.
Deputy Minister Shi of the Publicity Department of the Chongli County Committee told reporters that in 2008, Chongli received 530,000 tourists for skiing, of which 80% were from Beijing.
Compared with ski resorts in Beijing, those in Chongli have better snow quality, larger ski areas, and higher altitudes, making them more suitable for advanced skiers.
In response to the early arrival of the skiing season, our reporter has gathered information on major ski resorts in Beijing and surrounding areas for you to choose your preferred venue based on your skill level.
For Beginners:
Recommendations within Beijing:
Beijing ski resorts are great for practicing.
Reporters found that almost all ski resorts offering trial operations at the start of the skiing season offered attractive discounts similar to previous years, such as "only 20 yuan entrance fee" or "skiing at 10% discount". Including equipment rental fees, one can ski all day for just dozens of yuan.
However, since the skiing season has just begun, the snow is often stickier and not in its best condition. Additionally, due to weather conditions and snowmaking time constraints, most ski resorts only open beginner and intermediate slopes at the start of the season. Advanced slopes are still under snowmaking, making it difficult for experienced skiers to fully enjoy themselves at Beijing's ski resorts.
Wang Shitong, General Manager of Huabei Ski Resort, said that Beijing ski resorts cater to "weekend economic vacations", where one can easily make a round trip in a day without any time burden. Moreover, due to certain construction restrictions, Beijing ski resorts cannot match the overall size and slope length and width of out-of-town ski resorts, making them more suitable for beginners to practice.
Recommendation for Enthusiasts:
Chongli natural snow offers less resistance
Deputy Minister Shi of the Publicity Department of the Chongli County Committee introduced that in terms of snow quality itself, Chongli's snow is natural snow with hardness and elasticity, not sticky, making it very suitable for "enthusiast-level" skiers. If the snow is slightly sticky, it will increase the resistance while skiing.
Moreover, Chongli County has deep snow accumulation, with cumulative snow depth exceeding 1 meter.
It was introduced that Chongli County has 740,000 mu (about 49,333 hectares) of forest, including primary secondary forests mainly consisting of birches and mountain poplars, as well as subsequently planted larches and some fruit orchards.
The large area of forest vegetation forms a special "microclimate" in Chongli, creating a unique skiing environment.
Additionally, compared with ski resorts in Beijing, Chongli's ski resorts have higher altitudes ranging from 1500 meters up to 2174 meters, including nine peaks over 2000 meters.
Chongli County's snow retention period lasts up to 150 days, opening earlier than Beijing's ski resorts and closing later, making it suitable for "enthusiasts" to continuously enjoy skiing.
Introduction to Recommended Ski Resorts:
Recent openings of ski resorts in Beijing:
● Huabei Ski Resort is located in Hefangkou Village, Huabei Town, Huairou District. It officially opened on November 20th, with weekend rates at 360 yuan per day and weekdays at 220 yuan per day. It consists of two advanced slopes, one intermediate slope, and four beginner slopes, making it the longest and largest international-grade ski resort in the Beijing area.
● Nanshan Ski Resort is located in Shengshuitou Village, Henanzhai Town, Miyun County. It started trial operations from November 21st to 27th, with an entrance fee of 20 yuan plus a 10% discount on skiing costs. It officially opened on November 28th, with weekend rates at 360 yuan per day and weekdays at 220 yuan per day. It is the only winter resort in Beijing and North China that integrates skiing, sledding, paragliding, and other dynamic leisure activities.
● Shijinglong Ski Resort is located in Zhongyangfang Village, Zhangshanying Town, Yanqing County. It started trial operations from November 21st to 27th, with an entrance fee of 20 yuan and unlimited skiing time. It officially opened on November 28th, with weekend rates at 360 yuan per day and weekdays at 240 yuan per day. It was the first ski resort in the country to adopt artificial snowmaking and features a "snow sauna".
● Jundushan Ski Resort is located in Zhenshun Village, Cuizhen Town, Changping District. It officially opened on November 28th, with weekend rates at 220 yuan per day and weekdays at 160 yuan per day. It is currently one of the largest ski resorts in Beijing.
● Lianhuashan Ski Resort is located on Liangshan East Road, Zhangzhen Town, Shunyi District. It started trial operations from November 21st to 27th, with an all-day rate of 50 yuan. It officially opened on November 28th, with weekend rates at 238 yuan per day and weekdays at 128 yuan per day. All skis are new imported brands.
● Yunshangu Ski Resort is located in Xiongzhuang Town, Miyun County. It started trial operations from November 23rd to 27th, with an entrance fee of 20 yuan and free skiing. It officially opened on November 28th, with weekend rates at 340 yuan per day and weekdays at 220 yuan per day. The parking lot can accommodate over 800 vehicles.
● Yunju Ski Resort is located in Zhangfang Town, Fangshan District. It started trial operations from November 21st to 27th, with an entrance fee of 20 yuan and free skiing. It officially opened on November 28th, with weekend rates at 240 yuan per day and weekdays at 200 yuan per day. It is a neighbor to the thousand-year-old Yunju Temple and is the only ski resort in North China that uses surface water for snowmaking, making it environmentally friendly.
Part of Chongli's ski resorts:
● Wanlong Ski Resort officially opened on November 7th, with daily rates at 570 yuan (cable car + ski equipment). It has 21 beginner, intermediate, and advanced ski slopes, featuring magic carpets specifically designed for beginners. It is the earliest open, longest snow season, and best snow quality ski resort in China.
● Changchengling Ski Resort officially opened on November 13th, with booking prices at 150 yuan per day (weekends) and 130 yuan per day (weekdays). It is the first modern high-altitude competitive sports training base in Hebei Province and a fully-equipped large ski activity base.
● Duolemeidi Ski Resort officially opened on November 14th, with weekday rates at 236 yuan per person per day, weekend rates at 270 yuan per person per day, and holiday rates at 360 yuan per person per day. It features children's and elderly zones, convenient for children and the elderly to ski. It also has the first high-speed windproof box-type cable car in domestic ski resorts, allowing families to enjoy the six-person cable car together.
● Saibei Ski Resort officially opened on November 14th, with weekday market prices at 236 yuan per person per day, weekend rates at 270 yuan per person per day, and holiday rates at 360 yuan per person per day. It features a six-person high-speed windproof chairlift and a high-speed drag lift.
Note: Specific opening times and prices of each ski resort are subject to change, please refer to actual conditions.
Large Area, Exciting Experience
It was learned that by 2008, Chongli County had built five major ski resorts: Wanlong, Changchengling, Saibei, Cuiyun Mountain, and Duolemeidi. The total ski area covers 100 square kilometers, with 41 beginner, intermediate, and advanced ski slopes, totaling 49,000 meters in length. There are 16 cable cars and magic carpets, covering 12,000 meters in length, and 7,200 sets of ski equipment.
Deputy Minister Shi introduced that the ski resorts in Chongli are large in scale, with numerous ski runs and clearly divided zones, suitable for various types of tourists.
"Duolemeidi Ski Resort has elderly and children's zones, avoiding potential dangers during skiing." In addition, Chongli County is located in a mountainous area with relatively high altitude, resulting in significant height differences in ski resorts, making the skiing experience more exciting for experienced skiers.
Deputy Minister Shi further explained that Chongli County's temperature is ideal for skiing, with an average winter temperature of around -15°C. It is colder than Beijing but warmer than Northeast China, allowing skiers to experience the thrill of real snow without freezing.
It was learned that each ski resort in Chongli County has offices in Beijing. Staff at the Beijing office of Wanlong Ski Resort said that they are very busy every winter, providing consultation services to Beijing tourists. If there are tour groups, they will assist in guiding them.
It was introduced that the annual Chongli Ski Festival will open on December 4th, attracting more Beijing residents to visit Chongli.
Precautions for Skiing:
Equipment: If using your own gear, be sure to perform maintenance work such as waxing before use.
Clothing: If you do not have professional skiwear, it is best to rent directly at the ski resort. Although down jackets and cotton coats provide warmth, they are not waterproof and lack good breathability.
Gloves, Hats: No need for professional ones, just focus on warmth.
Goggles: To prevent snow blindness, but given the limited area of Beijing's ski resorts, this situation is unlikely to occur. Therefore, goggles can be used as decoration and worn according to personal preference.
Market Analysis:
Regarding ski resorts outside Beijing that are increasingly drawing attention from Beijingers, Wang Shitong, General Manager of Huabei Ski Resort, expressed that whether it is Hebei, Northeast China, or overseas, high-end ski resorts attract more people, which is a good thing for Beijing's market and not merely a diversion of customers.
Wang Shitong stated that as skiing skills improve, beginners become enthusiasts who may progress from skiing in Beijing to Hebei, then from Hebei to Northeast China. Once enthusiasts become "enthusiasts," they might even head to Europe.
Therefore, ski markets outside Beijing complement rather than compete absolutely with Beijing's ski market.