Economic Watch: With Olympic legacy, north China mountain town becomes Beijing's skiing getaway

SHIJIAZHUANG, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Four years after co-hosting the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Chongli, 200 kilometers northwest of the Chinese capital, has jumped on the bandwagon of China's booming ice and snow economy.

Ski courses carved into Chongli's mountain slopes in north China's Hebei Province, equipped with modern chairlifts that reach the highest peaks, are packed with Chinese and international skiers and tourists in winter.

"After touring Beijing, we took a high-speed train to Chongli for the snow fun," said Xia Hongxin, a tourist from Fujian Province in eastern China who chose Chongli to experience Olympic-standard skiing courses. He said the transport was convenient, with a one-hour train ride from Beijing North Railway Station in the city center.

As the primary venue for the 2022 Winter Olympics snow events, Chongli's ski courses boast a thrilling maximum vertical drop of approximately 500 meters. Its extended ski season runs from November through late March.

Since the start of the 2025-2026 snow season, Genting Snow Park in Chongli has hosted several major professional sports events, including the 2025-2026 FIS Snowboard & Freeski Big Air World Cup, the FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup (Halfpipe), the FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup (Aerials) and the National Snowboard Halfpipe Championships.

"During these events, nearly 3,600 rooms and apartments in the park were booked to capacity," said Chen Kang, vice president of Genting Snow Park. Fueled by the sports competitions, the Olympic host town has emerged as a popular destination for ice and snow travel.

Mi Jiaxuan, 26, a Chongli native, now runs a ski equipment shop near the ski resort. He said a decade ago, working-age young people in Chongli typically left for city jobs, but hosting the Olympics has breathed new life into the mountain town.

"In the past, snow brought little more than travel inconvenience. But today in Chongli, ice and snow have become natural gifts, delivering tangible benefits to local residents," he said, adding that winter is now the golden season for his business.

Mi started the business in 2015 in a space of just about 40 square meters. Today, it has expanded to nearly 200 square meters and employs more than a dozen staff. In addition to sales revenue, he earns profits from renting and delivering skiing equipment to ski resorts and hotels.

"When we first opened, the shop could only accommodate about 30 sets of ski equipment, mostly imported. Now we have about 300 sets, spanning beginner to advanced levels. More than half are Chinese-made," Mi said.

According to official statistics, of Chongli's 130,000 residents, nearly 30,000 are now directly or indirectly employed in the winter sports and tourism industries. That means one in four locals now makes a living from the snow.

Han Xiaoyu, deputy director of the Chongli district department of culture, tourism, radio, television and sports, said that, thanks to the unique legacy of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the district has accelerated the development of its sports event economy and enriched it through cultural tourism.

Since last year, more than 800 sports events, competitions and activities of all types have been held in Chongli, Han said. According to official data, the total number of visitors to Chongli in 2025 exceeded 10 million, while the local tourism has witnessed a transition from a "seasonal boom" to a "year-round prosperity" model.

Looking ahead, Han said Chongli will continue to leverage its Olympic legacy to foster deep integration of ice and snow sports with sectors such as wellness and health tourism, educational travel, cultural exhibitions and the convention and exhibition industry. The goal, he said, is to establish itself as a world-class tourist destination that serves the global community and earns international recognition. ■