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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
HARBIN, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) — As China vigorously develops its ice and snow economy to boost consumption, domestic winter sports gear and equipment makers are seeking to rapidly grow their sales and catch up with foreign brands that have long dominated the sector.
This trend was on full display at the 2026 Harbin International Ice and Snow Economy Expo, which lasted three days and brought together more than 300 winter sports equipment and gear manufacturers from over 20 countries and regions.
Amid the excitement, it has become clear that Chinese companies are leveraging local manufacturing expertise and a rapidly growing domestic market to boost their competitiveness.
The exhibition concluded in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province, northeast China, last Thursday. Domestic manufacturers from the country's burgeoning winter sports sector showcased high-performance gear and equipment, ranging from futuristic driverless snow blowers and carbon fiber skis to solid-state batteries resistant to low temperatures.
Li Zhibo, CEO of Harbin-based Qianmao Snow Dragon Sports Equipment Co., Ltd., unveiled a sleek black snowboard at the exhibition. "This is a competition board we specially designed for athletes on the Chinese national team," he said.
According to him, the new snowboard model is made of aerospace-grade composite materials, making it lighter and more durable, and half the price of imported equivalents. The new model is expected to debut at the Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, which will be held from February 6 to 22 this year.
Founded in 2002, Qianmao Snow Dragon Sports Equipment Co., Ltd.'s full range of ski products is available at 80 percent of China's ski resorts.
Li Zhibo also noted that government support for the development of the ice and snow economy, as well as the Asian Winter Games being held in Harbin in 2025, present excellent growth opportunities for domestic manufacturers of winter sports equipment and gear.
At the exhibition, Bingxuehuanteng Sports Equipment Technology /Harbin/ Co., Ltd. introduced 13 new products using aerospace-grade carbon fiber, which makes them lighter than similar products without compromising strength, which attracted the attention of many ski enthusiasts and industry insiders.
Qin Wenbao, the company's product manager, said the company has established partnerships with Chinese R&D centers and universities such as the Harbin Institute of Technology to enhance its competitiveness.
Yu Yang, president of Beijing Carving Ski Sports Development Group Co., Ltd., said that China is a newcomer to the global winter sports equipment and gear industry, so it will take time for domestic companies to establish themselves in the global market.
Despite the presence of TechnoAlpin, the world's leading snow removal machine manufacturer, at the exhibition, Yu Yang noted that the Chinese company had nevertheless found a market niche for its new product – an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly snow removal machine.
The global supply chain is also looking to exploit new opportunities amid China's winter tourism boom.
Italian company TechnoAlpin, which holds about 60 percent of the global market for manual and fully automatic snowmaking systems, reported that about 90 percent of China's ski resorts use its snowmaking machines.
Shen Yumei, marketing director of the company's China division, pointed out that the winter sports boom in China gives global enterprises greater confidence in the market.
"We plan to build the world's fourth-largest equipment and gear center in China, which will serve other Asian markets. The company's advanced technologies and expertise in ice and snow will contribute to the rapid development of the winter sports industry in China," he added.
According to a report by the China Tourism Academy, published at the Winter Tourism Development Forum in Harbin earlier this week, ice and snow tourism in China is entering a "new stage of sustainable development." The organization estimates that by the end of 2025, the sector will have over 14,000 enterprises, an 11 percent increase year-on-year.
In 2025, the scale of China's ice and snow economy will exceed 1 trillion yuan (about 143 billion US dollars), which is almost 4 times the 2015 volume of 270 billion yuan. -0-
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