Chongli: A small town's "frozen" tale

BEIJING - Nestled in the Landwasser Valley of the Alps, the town of Davos has become Switzerland's tourism emblem, boasting rich winter sports resources and hosting the annual World Economic Forum. It stands as a template for any tourism town aspiring to replicate its success. In the northern outskirts of China's capital, Beijing, Chongli seeks to follow Davos's path to success.

In 2015, when Beijing and Zhangjiakou City secured the bid for the Winter Olympics, Chongli was but a remote mountainous county within Zhangjiakou's jurisdiction, grappling with poverty that afflicted 16.81% of its populace by year's end. In January 2016, Chongli’s administrative status shifted as it transitioned from a county to a district. In May 2019 Chongli declared it had shaken off poverty.

In just eight years, spurred by the booming winter sports industry, Chongli leveraged its strategic location to develop winter tourism vigorously, significantly increasing residents' incomes and transforming its infrastructure and regional landscape dramatically.

Photo taken on Feb. 16, 2024 shows the main thoroughfare of Chongli at night. (Photo provided to Guangming Online)

Amidst winter's frosty embrace, along Chongli's main thoroughfare the view is reminiscent of European hamlets, with rows of holiday apartments lining intersecting streets. The air hums with activity as bustling traffic mingles with the distant silhouette of ski trails resembling cascading white waterfalls. Eateries and ski shops line the streets, casting a spell of allure upon skiing enthusiasts.

As of March 18, 2024, for the 2023-2024 ski season, Chongli had warmly welcomed 4.05 million visitors, with comprehensive tourism revenue amounting to 4.81 billion yuan. During the Chinese New Year holiday, spanning from February 10 to February 17, alone Chongli played host to 473,800 visitors, garnering a tourism revenue surge of 521 million yuan.

Undoubtedly, Chongli has cemented its status as an indispensable fixture on China's winter sports landscape. According to the 2022-23 China Ski Industry White Book, Xinjiang tops the list with 1,615 hectares in ski resort area, followed by Jilin with 907 hectares. Hebei Province takes the third spot with 771 hectares, surpassing the northeastern province of Heilongjiang by over 400 hectares. In terms of skier visits, Hebei Province leads with 2.53 million visits, showing a notable year-on-year increase of 36.15%.