Wuhan's ice and snow industry gains momentum

The ice and snow industry in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province and one of China's "four ovens" — cities known for their steamy summer temperatures and sparse winter snowfall — has prospered in recent years.

Wuhan became one of the cities with the most indoor ski resorts after its fourth one, the Ganlushan International Ski Resort, opened on Nov 8, receiving around 2,000 visitors on weekends.

The venue of the resort simulates outdoor skiing resorts by using snow-making machines, and ice sculptures transported from external cold storage for construction, said Yu Hao, general manager of Wuhan Changjiang Culture and Tourism City Management Co Ltd, operator of the resort.

It remains at a temperature of -6 C while opening to visitors 365 days a year from 10 am to 9 pm or 10 pm. The entire space is equipped with cold storage panels and multiple cold air machines, ensuring that the ice and snow remain frozen throughout the year, he said.

The resort has six snow trails for tourists at different levels. The most difficult has a slope of 18 degrees and length of 240 meters.

Among the 12 national ice and snow tourism boutique routes announced by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the route in Hubei has become one of the few from the south.

According to data from Ctrip, the booking volume of ski hotels in Hubei from Jan 1 to Feb 28 increased by about 83 percent compared to the previous year.

It is estimated that during the 2024-2025 ice and snow season, the number of tourists received in Hubei will exceed 20 million, and the revenue from ice and snow leisure tourism will reach 27.3 billion yuan ($3.76 billion), data from the provincial culture and tourism bureau showed.

Video provided to chinadaily.com.cn