Asian Winter Games ignites skiing frenzy in Harbin’s Yabuli Ski Resort

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The ongoing Asian Winter Games has sparked a skiing boom in its host city of Harbin in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, with Yabuli, the venue for the Games’ snow sports events, seeing a particularly high number of tourist arrivals.

Lasting from Feb. 7 to 14, the Games are proceeding in two competition zones, one in Harbin City and the other in Yabuli County of Harbin.

While two of Yabuli’s six ski resorts are temporarily closed to serve as venues for the Games, the remaining four are fully operational and open to tourists. 

One of these resorts has seen a record-breaking number of visitors this winter.

Usually, the number of visitors at the resort drops after the Spring Festival holiday, but it is not the case this year. Data showed that the resort is currently receiving around 20,000 visitors daily, a 20 percent increase from the same period last year.

Since the start of the skiing season in November 2024, it has welcomed a total of 900,000 visitors and set a single-day record of 32,000 visitors.

The Games has clearly ignited the public’s passion for skiing and boosted the Yabuli’s popularity, as it has attracted many beginners from southern China. 

To cater to these newcomers, the ski resorts there have added four new beginner slopes and increased the number of ski instructors from 500 to 900.

With professional guidance, first-time skiers can quickly pick up the basics and enjoy the sport in just half a day.

The event also has greatly spurred the development of local rural tourism. Many guesthouses near ski resorts in Yabuli have been fully booked, with most rooms occupied until the Lantern Festival on Feb. 12.