INTERNATIONAL: On the slopes of hundreds of ski resorts that sprang up in China in recent years, lies Beijing's ambition to get 300 million Chinese involved in winter sports, and build a $157 billion industry. The goal, spurred by hosting the Winter Olympics, is to build a thriving winter sports ecosystem, from success on the slopes - some of its best Olympic medal hopes are in the freestyle ski and snowboard events - to world-class resorts and the manufacture of equipment to service them.
With support from the central government, the country's snow sports industry is pinning its hopes on people like Shi Haoping, 32, who takes to the slopes to de-stress from his job as head of an online education company.
Shi says, "This is such a physical activity; it relieves the pressure for me. At first, we learned skiing, but last year we picked up snowboarding because it looks trendier and cooler."
The stakes are high, and not just for China, as the global snow sports industry looks to rising incomes in the world's most populous nation to offset what industry data shows to be stagnating participation in traditional ski markets.
China has more than 700 ski areas but the industry is highly fragmented and most are tiny. Only about 20 would be considered destination resorts, including Thaiwoo and the nearby Genting Resort Secret Garden, which will host the Olympic freestyle skiing and snowboarding competitions.
With snowfall scarce in many parts of China, including the winter sports hub of Zhangjiakou, the necessity of water for snowmaking limits intensive resort development.
Industry insiders say the longer-term challenge is to ensure the full experience is enjoyable - from the renting of gear to the quality and standards of teaching, and the apres ski social activities - so more beginners want to spend the time and money to become regulars.
On a five-year average, China ranks eighth globally in skier visits, according to the 2021 International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism by industry expert Laurent Vanat, with the United States, Austria and France making up the top three.
Unlike in the United States and Europe, where skiers are predominant, China's snow sports market skews towards boarders like Anthony Zhang, 31, who works in finance and was decked out in $2355 worth of gear including a baby-blue snowsuit and pink snowboard for his first time on genuine slopes.
Winter Olympics Adviser Justin Downes says, "The Olympics is obviously a big part of it and because the government is 100% behind promoting the Games, everybody around the country is aware of winter sport and certainly skiing. But the winter sport industry was growing well before the Olympics was announced in 2015. So, you know, I was here in 2007 because I saw it happening and I believed that it was going to grow into a growing concern. And it was already on the uptick. Really just the Olympic has accelerated it. But everybody around the country is fully aware of what winter sports is by now."
