Altay in major push to boost winter tourism

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Altay, located in the northern part of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, seeks to tap into its rich winter tourist resources and become a hot tourist destination for snow sports and snow-related tourist market, said the local tourist authorities at a promotion event recently held in Beijing.

The Altay region boasts rich landscape forms, from glacial rivers, forests and grasslands to alpine valleys, lakes, wetlands and deserts.

The snow season in Altay lasts for seven to eight months in its mountain areas. And the average snow thickness along the Altay Mountains is more than one meter. Also, the snow is the so-called "powder snow," which is believed to be the most suitable for snow sports.

Kanas Lake in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. /VCG Photo

The long snow season, large amount and excellent quality of snow won Altay the award title "Snow Capital of China" from the National Climate Center in August.

The special environment and climate conditions in Altay also make skiing an indispensable survival skill for people in the region, and it has been closely related to human life and economic development through history.

In 2005, an ancient rock painting depicting people hunting with skis, dating back more than 120,000 years, was found in the area. This discovery has provided solid evidence of the area's long tradition and culture in skiing.

Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. /VCG Photo

Currently three ski fields have been built in Altay, including China's only alpine ski resort in a city, and the only ski resort in the country where heli-skiing is offered, as well as a new ski field that has a second alpine downhill track in China that meets the requirements for the Olympic Winter Games.

Other special winter tourist experiences include winter fishing on the Ulungur Lake; festival experience with the local ethnic groups; a road trip through a snow mountain canyon and horse sledding and ice sculpturing.

Also, to boost winter tourism, several direct flight routes opened earlier this year connecting the area with such major Chinese cities as Shenzhen, Chongqing, Zhengzhou, Lanzhou, Nanjing and Xi'an.

(Cover: Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): China Daily