On September 6, 2025, Yaoxue Ice and Snow World, the world's largest indoor snow park located in Shanghai's Lingang area, celebrated its first anniversary. Photo: VCG

Skiing enthusiasts in southern Chinese provinces including South China's Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) can now indulge in their passion for skiing without having to travel all the way to China's renowned ski destinations like the ones in Changbai Mountains in Northeast China's Jilin Province and Altay in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as more large-scale indoor ski resorts have sprung up right on their doorsteps.

As revealed in the report on the mass ice and snow consumption market released by the General Administration of Sport of China in last August, the total number of ski resorts across the country has reached 865, including 79 indoor ski resorts, representing a year-on-year increase of 33.9 percent. 

East China's Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, and Guangdong Province have emerged as the provinces with the highest concentration of indoor ski resorts in southern China, among which Guangdong has completed the construction of five ski resorts, according to the report.

Guangzhou Bonski serves as a testament to the thriving development of indoor ski resorts in Guangdong Province. During the recent New Year's Day holidays in 2026, the resort witnessed a notable surge in visitor flow, with overall attendance increasing by nearly 30 percent compared to the same period last year, Yang Deming, general manager of the resort, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

To date, the ski resort has provided public skiing instruction to over 300,000 visitors, Yang added.

The resort features a 75,000-square-meter indoor ski area, including five professional ski runs, and maintains a constant temperature of -6 C and offers high-quality snow with a depth of 50 centimeters. "Minimized limitations enables visitors to enjoy year-round skiing," Yang said.

The advanced run has also received certification from the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, Yang said.

As indicated by China's e-commerce conglomerate Meituan platform, a 3-hour beginner slope skiing package at the resort, which includes ski equipment, costs just 250 yuan ($35.90) and also grants free access to other ice and snow entertainment facilities within the resort.

Huang Yunyu, a skiing enthusiast from Guangzhou, visits this ski resort, which is conveniently located near her home, almost every weekend. She told the Global Times on Wednesday that compared to most outdoor ski resorts located in suburban areas, the resort offers a more convenient commute and it is unaffected by weather or seasonal changes.

Some inner ski resorts in Guangzhou are also highly appealing to tourists from Hong Kong and Macao SARs. The Shenzhen Huafa Snow BONSKI, which commenced operations on September 29 last year, is currently the world's largest indoor ski resort, chinanews.com reported. 

The resort has gained popularity among tourists from Hong Kong and Macao SARs, having hosted multiple travel groups from the two regions, with visitor numbers continuing to grow, China National Radio (CNR) reported, citing the resort's general manager Qu Hongtao.

According to data from China's online travel service giant Trip.com Group, as of Wednesday, more than 17,000 ski passes, which include ski gear with a helmet, have been sold, accounting for 82.4 percent of ticket purchases. 

To facilitate cross-border tourists, the resort has launched direct shuttle buses to and from Hong Kong, along with multiple overseas ticketing channels. The coaching team also offers instruction in Cantonese and provides bilingual information through international social media platforms, CNR reported.

Setting off from Huanggang Port, the journey to the ski resort took a child skier surnamed Leung from Hong Kong approximately an hour and a half, a local media outlet reported.

Leung said that the wind-free interior and smoothly operating ski lifts delivered an exceptional experience, adding that he would revisit the resort in the future, the media outlet reported. 

Andrew Higgins is a Hong Kong-based teacher from Australia. His two children fell in love with skiing during their time in Altay. Now, he takes them to indoor ski resorts in Shenzhen for training sessions every two weeks. 

"Compared with indoor ski resorts in Hong Kong, the resorts on the Chinese mainland offer more reasonable pricing. And we also feel more assured having our kids learn to ski at these indoor facilities," he told the Global Times.

Most instructors at these resorts speak Cantonese, which also makes it more convenient for the children's lessons, he added.