China's early-season rice yield stood at around 28.17 billion kilograms this year, exceeding the threshold of 28 billion kilograms for four consecutive years, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Friday.
The output dropped by 0.6 percent year on year, primarily due to heavy rain and flooding in the country's leading grain-producing regions since April, the NBS explained.
The NBS also noted that the sown areas for China's early-season rice remained largely stable. The early-season rice planting area nationwide was 71.322 million mu (around 4.75 million hectares) this year, up 0.5 percent compared to the previous year.
China's early rice output exceeds threshold of 28 billion kgs for four consecutive years
As temperatures plummet across China, ski resorts and other winter sports facilities are heating up early this season.
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has greatly boosted Chinese people's love for winter sports, bringing billions of people into the booming industry.
The mountainous areas of northwest China's Xinjiang's Altay Prefecture typically welcome hordes of ski enthusiasts and visitors each year, with its lengthy skiing season normally running from late October through to May.
Many of the resorts here have upgraded their facilities by building new terrain parks and adding trails to offer terrain variety and even better skiing experience to enthusiasts.
"The Beijing Winter Olympics has ignited a wave of enthusiasm for winter sports, and it was during that time that I fell in love with skiing. Skiing not only allows me to experience the speed and excitement of the sport but also offers the opportunity to enjoy breathtaking natural scenery," said a tourist named Zhou Haiting.
Since mid-October, Altay has received over 2.35 million visits, marking a year-on-year increase of more than 60 percent. It is expected to receive a total of 14 million tourist visits during the new snow season.
Ski resort operators in Zhangjiakou in Hebei Province, which hosted events during the 2022 Winter Olympics, said visitor numbers have been scaling the heights over the past few years, with a new record expected this year if weather permits.
"There is a relatively complete range of facilities available here, with both hotel accommodation and food service. There is also shuttle bus service. It's really very convenient for visitors," said a skier named Chen Jipeng.
In the warmer south, burgeoning ice and snow tourism is also gaining popularity, with indoor ski areas seeing more visitors come to enjoy the unique thrill brought by the winter sport.
In Taicang City, east China's Jiang Province, skiers come to an indoor ski areas to explore the piste where more training lessons are available this year to meet the needs of skiers with different levels of skills.
"Enthusiasm for winter sports has significantly increased since the Winter Olympics, and everyone is very interested in skiing. With ski facilities now available right at our doorstep, it has become incredibly convenient, bringing joy to our entire family," a tourist named Ma Boyao said.
Growing enthusiasm for winter sports fuels tourism across China
