Reference News Network October 9 report: Singapore's Straits Times website published an article titled "China Builds More and Larger Indoor Ski Resorts to Develop the 'Winter Sports Economy'". The translation is as follows:

Every winter, tech entrepreneur Sean Wang (音) spends a month skiing in northern China. However, this week, his ski season started earlier.

On October 1st, at an outdoor temperature of up to 33 degrees Celsius, this 37-year-old entrepreneur and other skiers flocked to Shenzhen's newly opened world's largest indoor ski resort.

There, beginners wearing padded pants queued up in front of the beginner slopes, while skiers equipped with action cameras zoomed down the advanced slopes.

Mr. Wang, who spends tens of thousands of yuan on this sport every year, said, "I have always thought that cities like Shenzhen should have indoor ski resorts."

He added that Shenzhen residents have strong consumer power, and the number of people participating in winter sports is also expanding.

Not just Shenzhen. As China vigorously promotes the booming winter sports industry, the number and scale of indoor ski resorts are also expanding. Unlike outdoor ski resorts located in areas with natural snowfall, these indoor facilities with controlled temperatures can maintain thick artificial snow layers all year round.

Wu Bin, a Chinese ski industry expert, said that China currently operates about 70 indoor ski resorts, and more are under construction.

In 2024, a large indoor ski resort opened in Shanghai, which had just lost the title of "world's largest indoor ski resort" to Shenzhen's new resort. At the same time, Taicang in Jiangsu Province is building a large indoor ski resort, scheduled to open in 2029.

Wu Bin said, "Indoor ski resorts are rapidly becoming a focus for many provinces and cities to develop the winter sports economy."

Chinese policymakers view the development of winter sports as a way to boost the economy. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics sparked interest among Chinese people in winter sports such as skiing and ice skating.

Data from the General Administration of Sport show that during the 2024-2025 winter sports season, the number of residents participating in winter sports nationwide reached 292 million, with a participation rate of 20.61%. During the same period, the scale of consumption related to winter sports and the number of participants exceeded 187.5 billion yuan, an increase of over 25% compared to the previous year.

For businessmen like Zhang Chenxin (音), entering the winter sports field has proven to be a wise move. This 33-year-old entrepreneur founded a club in Guangzhou in 2019, organizing trips for ski enthusiasts. His business has now expanded to Harbin, Xinjiang, and Shenzhen, and he will open his fifth branch in Zhuhai.

He said, "This industry has great potential."

The investment required for this field is considerable. It is reported that the total investment in Shenzhen's indoor ski resort and its supporting facilities reached approximately 29.6 billion yuan. Despite this, it has not stopped the construction boom, and new investment agreements are still being signed.

Investors are hoping for more Chinese consumers, especially those in wealthy regions with little snow, who are willing to spend money anytime to experience the thrill of skiing. (Translation by Yang Xuele)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559056704676938275/

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