The first regional winter games are being held in Altay Prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang region since Friday. Photo: Zhang Zhen/GT

Following a stabilization of the epidemic prevention situation, Northwest China's Xinjiang region is accelerating the recovery of daily life and its economy, as the first regional winter games are being held in Altay Prefecture, further boosting the local winter sports economy. 

The first regional Winter Games formally kicked off at Jiangjunshan Ski Resort in Altay on Friday with 1,035 athletes from 14 cities and prefectures across Xinjiang region participating in 117 competition events, including cross-country skiing, alpine skiing and ice hockey. 

Altay is located in the "golden Snow area" at 45 degrees north latitude, and is widely regarded as one of the best natural skiing areas in China. It is also acknowledged as the birthplace of skiing, being referred to as the "Snow capital of China."

China's pair figure skater and also world champions Sui Wenjing is acting as the public ambassador for the first regional winter games. She told the Global Times that she claimed her first national games championship in the Xinjiang region and has always thought the region is a place of happiness and luck for her. 

Sui also expressed high anticipation for the development of winter sports in the region. 

Xu Guixiang, a spokesperson for the Xinjiang regional government told a press conference on Friday that with the optimization of prevention measures on COVID-19, the epidemic situation is stabilizing in the region. 

The region has accomplished full resumption of work and production and is working to further boost its regional economy, Xu said, also extending a welcome to domestic and overseas tourists to visit the region during the winter season as the regional government has actively promoted the rapid development of ice and snow sports tourism, holding a series of activities such as Altay International Ice and Snow Tourism Art Festival and Altay Winter Expo in recent years.

Xu outlined that during the current winter, aside from holding the first winter games, the region has developed 12 ice-snow tourist routes, opened 84 skiing areas, issued more than 50,000 consumption coupons across the region and kicked off a number of snow tourism promotions. 

By pushing a range of policies supporting the ice-snow economy, the Xinjiang region has also become a top destination for winter sports and tourism in China, which also brings new economic opportunities for regional developments, said Xu. 

Centering on ski resorts and relying on high quality snowfall, the Xinjiang regional government has built an ice and snow industry chain integrating tourism, sports, equipment manufacturing and services, the Global Times learnt from the regional government. 

The booming of winter tourism also benefits local residents. For example, taking advantage of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, people around the Jiangjunshan ski resort in Altay have turned their leisure time into new economic opportunities. They have set up shops, supermarkets, restaurants and B&B facilities. 

According to data from the regional government in January, more than 20,000 people are now employed as part of the industry, with their average income has increasing by 18,000 yuan, developing a more mature tourism sector while also boosting the local economy.

Xu said that winter tourism in the region will embrace further development as officials work to further promote the construction of infrastructure and an advanced transportation network. 

The first regional winter games are being held in Altay Prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang region since Friday. Photo: Zhang Zhen/GT

 

The first regional winter games are being held in Altay Prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang region since Friday. Photo: Zhang Zhen/GT

 

The first regional winter games are being held in Altay Prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang region since Friday. Photo: Zhang Zhen/GT