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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
WUHAN, March 14 (Xinhua) — A row of Scandinavian-style wooden cottages with artificial snow on their roofs and a 200-meter ski run lined with skiers: a typical winter wonderland now appears at a bustling shopping mall in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province.
Natural snow is a rare occurrence in this city, located closer to the southern bank of the Yangtze River, but this hasn't dampened the growing interest in skiing among residents and tourists. Over the past two months, Wuhan's four indoor ski resorts have welcomed over 420,000 visitors.
Li Mengshi, a tourist from Guangzhou in Guangdong Province (southern China), was among the recent visitors to the WS Bonski ski complex, located on the eighth floor of the local Wushang Dream Plaza shopping mall. Arriving with only a small bag, she began skiing among Chinese skiers in the "easiest" category.
“This morning I visited the city’s most famous attractions, had a good lunch, and then took the elevator up here to go skiing,” Li Mengshi said, adjusting her protective glasses.
According to her, a three-hour ski pass costs 188 yuan (about $27), while a full-day pass costs 258 yuan. Both options include free use of all necessary skiing equipment, including boots, helmets, and even warm winter clothing suitable for temperatures as low as -6 degrees Celsius.
"I didn't bring any gear. It was as easy as going to the movies," Li Mengshi noted.
Li Mengshi's comments point to a new factor in the ice and snow economy in China's warm southern regions: indoor ski resorts that offer a more affordable alternative to multi-day trips to the snowy peaks in the north.
Instead, these artificial trails were presented directly to potential consumers. They appeared in shopping centers, easily accessible by metro and offering all-inclusive equipment rentals. The owners of these facilities marketed skiing as an urban activity, seeking to attract both amateurs and active recreation enthusiasts.
“After the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, ski slopes in shopping malls have become a business model that turns a previously elite sport into a common urban hobby,” said Zhang Desheng, a professor at Wuhan Sport University.
"It's also a big change from the past when skiing was a seasonal sport," he said.
According to the National Administration of Sports of the People's Republic of China, 55 indoor ski resorts were operating in the country's southern provinces by April 2025. In 2024, the world's largest indoor ski center opened in Shanghai, but this record was surpassed by a new facility in Shenzhen in 2025.
These indoor facilities, as well as artificial outdoor ski resorts in mountainous areas, have secured a prominent place for southern China in the nationwide winter sports and tourism development program.
A report on the development of China's ski industry found that the number of ski resort visits nationwide reached 26.05 million during the 2024-2025 winter season, an increase of 12.9 percent year-on-year. Four southern provinces—Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangdong, and Sichuan—ranked among the top 10 regions in the country for ski resort visits.
POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES AND PITFALLS
China, developing its ice and snow economy as a new growth area, expects to increase the industry's market capacity to 1.2 trillion yuan by 2027 and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030, according to recommendations published by the State Council of the People's Republic of China.
The growing popularity of indoor ski slopes in the country's southern cities is expected to lead to the development of a vast winter sports consumption chain.
Wuhan resident Li Jinfeng, a 39-year-old freelancer, visited indoor slopes more than 60 times last year. In addition to his 998 yuan annual pass, he invested over 7,000 yuan in his own equipment, including a professional snowboard and custom-made boots.
"In the long run, skiing is more expensive than other sports," he said, adding that as skills improve, upgrading equipment becomes virtually inevitable. "Snowboards of varying lengths and flex levels have a significant impact on skiing style and capabilities."
Despite high market expectations, experts noted some problems facing ski resorts in the south.
"Unlike outdoor slopes in the north, these indoor resorts typically rely on artificial snow and constant refrigeration, which increases operating costs," Zhang Desheng said, adding that winter visitor traffic alone is not enough to sustain them.
One possible solution is to eliminate seasonality. According to Ma Rui, marketing manager at Wuhan Chengjian Bonski, which operates the largest indoor ski resort in Central China, the company operates year-round and has transformed the hot summer months into the peak ski season.
"We're also focusing on training young people to develop a new generation of elite skiers," Ma Rui noted. "We'll collaborate with local schools to popularize the sport and expand the talent pool."
Min Yujie, a seven-year-old primary school student in Wuhan, spent almost every weekend on the ski slopes last year. Once a week, he has formal training, followed by a day of independent study.
"Skiing has helped him improve his balance, but more importantly, it has increased his concentration and endurance," said the boy's mother. The family plans for Min Yujie to participate in his first competition in 2026.
"If he wants to continue skiing, we will support him," she said. -0-
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