Slopes packed with skiers, plush cushioning for turtle-like comfort, and 11-dollar lift tickets: this is the essence of affordable skiing in China, where government support is paving the way for winter sports to rake in an estimated 137 billion dollars this year.
This trend is defying the sluggish consumption witnessed in other areas of China's post-pandemic economy – although experts caution that climate change and other environmental issues could potentially offset some of these gains in the long run.
President Xi Jinping has called the ski industry a "mountain of gold and silver" and has been working to position China as a winter sports leader, hosting major international events such as the Asian Winter Games in the northeastern city of Harbin last week.
As the excitement of the Games reached a fever pitch on a chilly but sunny Sunday this month, rental skis flew off the shelves at the city's Mingdu Ski Field as a steady stream of people flocked to the slopes.
"This is my first time skiing," student Deng Meiting said to AFP as she put on a green protective pad on her backside for safety.
"I wanted to give it a shot because winter sports are really popular, everyone's eager to try skiing," said the 18-year-old, who was visiting Harbin for the Games.
The most affordable daytime passes for the two-slope ski area cost approximately $11 for a two-hour period, which includes equipment rental.
"There's a pretty low entry barrier for beginners," said first-time skier Hu Enjie, who was visiting from the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing.
More capacity added
Industry data reveals a growing trend of people investing in a leisure activity traditionally associated with affluence in Europe and North America.
Visits to ski resorts from May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024 saw a 16 percent increase compared to the corresponding period the previous year, as stated in the China Ski Industry White Book.
The boom has been a blessing for instructor Yang Biyuan, who stated he is earning around one-third more than last year.
The 26-year-old anticipates earning approximately 15,000 yuan ($2,000) this month, a sum significantly higher than the typical monthly income for urban workers.
"When I first started teaching in 2020, most of the people on the slopes were individuals who were already familiar with skiing and snowboarding," Yang stated to AFP at Mingdu.
There has been an increasing number of beginners requiring lessons, the Harbin native said, making it feasible to find employment at a nearby ski resort rather than a distant one.
Across the nation, an even greater capacity is being developed - in the past year, China constructed 30 new resorts.
Climate risk
Excitement may be on the rise -- but the snow may not last much longer, experts warn, as rising temperatures are leading to shorter ski seasons globally.
China has heavily relied on artificial snow, as natural snowfall is generally unreliable in most parts of the country.
The situation is expected to deteriorate further, with China recording its highest temperature ever in 2024.
"Even if you make all the snow, if the temperatures are too high for it to stick to the ground, you've essentially gained nothing," sports ecology expert Madeleine Orr said to AFP.
Ski resorts in North America and Europe require approximately a hundred open days per winter season to be financially stable, she stated.
China's overly crowded trains - a frequent source of complaints on social media - may actually help alleviate the problem.
They could potentially shorten the hundred-day season if they manage to attract a large number of participants by offering incentives for these sports.
China also takes the lead globally in building indoor ski resorts, boasting half of the world's top 10 ski resorts based on snow area, as per Daxue Consulting.
However, producing all that artificial snow consumes large quantities of water and energy.
Environmental organizations have strongly criticized the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics for utilizing artificial ski slopes in an area severely impacted by drought.
"Economically, China could make its snow sport investment viable," said Orr.
No, from an environmental perspective.