This year's winter tourism season has started at Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort in Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, drawing flocks of visitors from across the country. The recent snowfall in northern China has also stirred up enthusiasm among skiers.

"We were waiting for the ski resort to open before it snowed," Wang Qin, a citizen from the region's capital Urumqi, said.

A series of entertainment projects, dining services and guest houses were upgraded before the opening of the season to provide skiing enthusiasts with a better tourism experience. So far, a total of 41 ski trails have been built at the site. 

"We estimate that the daily number of tourists this weekend can reach 40,000. Hence, our epidemic prevention and control measures have been further strengthened as well," Fu Lina, head of the local tourism bureau, said.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, specially designed ring-shaped routes have been installed for tourists in the scenic area.

(Cover: Visitors at the Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort in Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, November 21, 2020. /CFP)