Why Officials from Jilin, a “Snow and Ice Province,” are Visiting Jiangsu and Zhejiang to Research the Ice and Snow Economy
Recently, several inspection teams from Jilin Province have visited various locations in the Yangtze River Delta. According to The Paper, multiple teams have focused their research on the ice and snow economy in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
On December 11, the Jilin Daily reported that an inspection team from Longshan District, Liaoyuan City, visited Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, to study the construction of industrial funds and indoor ski resorts. During their visit, the team went to Qiaobo Ice and Snow World in Keqiao District to examine the operation and management of the indoor ski resort, gaining insights into the investment scale, cooperation models, and operational costs of the facility, which will serve as an important reference for future planning of indoor ski resorts in Longshan District.
Shaoxing Qiaobo Ice and Snow World, which opened in 2009 and is named after former speed skating world champion Ye Qiaobo, is a large comprehensive sports and leisure theme park that focuses on indoor skiing, snow play, and snow games, while also offering accommodation, sports, entertainment, dining, and conference services. It features facilities such as a snow play park, beginner ski slopes, and intermediate to advanced ski slopes, allowing for year-round skiing and snow activities.
In Jiangsu, ski resorts also welcomed inspection teams from Jilin. According to the WeChat account “Taicang Release,” on November 23, a delegation led by Wu Yuedong, Deputy Minister of the Jilin Provincial Publicity Department, visited the Alps International Resort in Taicang to investigate the development of the local ice and snow economy and to promote deeper exchanges and cooperation between the two regions. Taicang’s Party Secretary Wang Xiangyuan and Deputy Secretary Wang Yu accompanied the delegation.
The Alps International Resort in Taicang is a one-stop high-end urban vacation destination that integrates ice and snow sports, leisure, hotels, dining, shopping, and exhibitions. The first phase of the project has created six themed experience areas, including the Alps Snow World ski resort. During the visit, Wu Yuedong praised the operational model, facility layout, service measures, business types, customer flow, and performance of the snow world.
An inspection team from Meihekou City in Jilin focused on the ice and snow equipment manufacturing industry. According to “Zheji Cooperation,” to actively explore cooperation opportunities in ice and snow equipment manufacturing and automotive parts, from November 19 to 20, He Xiangping, a member of the Standing Committee of the Meihekou Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor, led relevant officials from the high-tech zone to visit Beilun District and Ninghai County in Ningbo.
The team visited representative companies such as Maosen Sports Goods Co., Ltd., Nuokex Outdoor Products Co., Ltd., and Ninghai Xingda Tourism Products Co., Ltd., to gain a comprehensive understanding of their production processes, operational models, supply and demand in the market, future industry trends, and investment intentions.
Jilin Province, located in the “Golden Latitude Belt for Ice and Snow,” is recognized as a major ice and snow province in China, boasting rich ice and snow resources. On November 23, the 2024-2025 snow season officially commenced in Jilin. The timing of the Jilin officials’ visits to the Yangtze River Delta, a region that rarely sees snow, raises the question of why they are investigating the ice and snow economy there. A review of the inspection itineraries reveals that they aim to learn from Jiangsu and Zhejiang’s experience in developing the ice and snow economy from scratch, addressing their own shortcomings, and exploring cooperation opportunities in the ice and snow industry.
According to a research article published in the internal journal “Decision Reference” by the Jilin Provincial Government Development Research Center on September 30, the Jilin ice and snow economy faces challenges such as the need to improve the integration of the ice and snow industry, enhance brand influence, and increase the added value of the ice and snow industry. On December 6, Qiu Ling, a researcher at the National Development and Reform Commission’s Institute of Industrial Economics and Technology Economics, also analyzed the shortcomings of the ice and snow economy in Northeast China, including Jilin. He noted that the region’s ice and snow tourism products and business combinations remain incomplete, primarily focusing on skiing experiences with insufficient leisure and vacation products, and that the “one season supports four seasons” issue is prevalent. Additionally, there are few equipment companies, and those that exist are small in scale, with inadequate investment in technological innovation and slow product updates.
In contrast, the Yangtze River Delta, particularly Jiangsu and Zhejiang, has rich experiences that can be referenced in these areas. Public data shows that although the region lacks natural ice and snow resources, it has built over a hundred ice and snow venues through various means, with Zhejiang and Jiangsu having 23 and 22 ski resorts, respectively, ranking 11th and 13th in the country, while the top ten are mostly northern provinces. In terms of indoor ski resorts, the Yangtze River Delta has 15, ranking first in the country, achieving “year-round skiing.” For example, Shaoxing Qiaobo Ice and Snow World is one of the earliest indoor ski resorts in the region, while Shanghai Yao Snow Ice and Snow World is the largest indoor ski resort in the world, and the Anji Yunsong Grassland Ski Resort in Zhejiang is currently the largest outdoor ski resort in East China.
The development concept of the ice and snow economy in the Yangtze River Delta is noteworthy. Compared to traditional ice and snow economic models, the Yangtze River Delta’s approach emphasizes the deep integration of ice and snow sports with tourism, vacation, and leisure, thereby enhancing the local economy. For instance, in terms of ski resort operations, many “latecomers” in the Yangtze River Delta are attempting to create comprehensive ice and snow parks, turning skiing into a lifestyle.
Taking the Taicang Alps International Resort as an example, its core selling point is the snow world, but its ultimate goal is to promote urban vacations and ice and snow tourism. In June of this year, the second phase of the project was signed, aiming to become a one-stop ice and snow-themed tourism and vacation destination. “What we want to create is a vacation lifestyle place where visitors can not only ski but also enjoy other cultural and tourism experiences,” said a project representative. Shanghai Yao Snow Ice and Snow World, in addition to the indoor ski resort, also features a water park, resort hotel, and an ice and snow-themed commercial town, filling the gap in Shanghai’s cultural tourism industry chain for ice and snow tourism. The Daming Mountain Ski Resort in Lin’an District, Hangzhou, combines sports leisure with scenic tourism.
“It is evident that the ice and snow exploration in the Yangtze River Delta transforms half-day tours into full-day and in-depth tours, thereby driving the comprehensive development of scenic spots, hotels, and dining industries,” reported Chao News.
According to “Taicang Release,” during the inspection of Taicang Alps Snow World, Wu Yuedong, Deputy Minister of the Jilin Provincial Publicity Department, stated that Taicang has strong economic strength and prominent geographical advantages, with significant achievements and broad prospects in developing the ice and snow economy. He expressed hope for strengthened exchanges and cooperation between the two regions, focusing on extending the industrial chain and integrating industries to empower and enhance each other’s advantages in ice and snow economic development.
In terms of ice and snow equipment, the Yangtze River Delta has seen a surge of ice and snow equipment manufacturing companies, forming initial industrial clusters in various locations, thanks to its developed manufacturing base. According to Qichacha, there are currently over 1,000 related companies in the Yangtze River Delta, an 11% increase compared to the same period last year. The industrial chain is also very complete, covering everything from ski clothing, ski boots, ski poles, skis, goggles, and helmets to snowplows, all-terrain vehicles, snow groomers, snowmobiles, and ski machines.
In Ninghai, Ningbo, where the Meihekou inspection team visited, the ice and snow equipment industry, primarily focused on sports poles, has achieved an annual output value exceeding 920 million yuan, accounting for over 75% of the total output value of similar products in the country. It is said that “out of every ten exported ski poles in the country, seven are produced in Ninghai.” Ninghai Xingda Tourism Products Co., Ltd. is particularly notable as one of the earliest companies in China to specialize in producing trekking poles and snow hiking gear, with a production and sales volume of over 1.9 million sports poles in 2023, most of which are sold to markets in the United States, France, Germany, and other Western countries.
According to the WeChat account “Zheji Cooperation,” the Meihekou inspection team stated that through this cross-regional cooperation and on-site investigation, they will promote the development of the ice and snow manufacturing industry in Meihekou, enhance industrial competitiveness, and drive local economic growth.
