Winter sports boost tourism market in northwest China's Xinjiang

The increasing enthusiasm for winter sports fueled by China's hosting of the Winter Olympics in 2022 has greatly boosted the tourism market in northwest China's colder Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

With favorable natural conditions and multiple high-standard ski resorts, Xinjiang has played a starring role in the development of China's booming winter sports industry. It is now poised to become a global hub for winter sports and adventure tourism, capitalizing on its rich skiing heritage and natural beauty.

Located in Hemu Village of Altay Prefecture's Burqin County in the region, the Jikepulin Ski Resort has been in operation since the 17th of this month. Since then, the number of visitors to the ski resort has been steadily increasing, with numerous winter sports enthusiasts from all over the country coming here to enjoy its magnificent natural scenery and excellent snow quality.

"We are from Puyang [City], Henan [Province]. The four of us have come to Xinjiang for skiing, and it's also our first time to visit a ski resort in Hemu," said an skier.

Altay is emerging as a popular ski destination as its three ski resorts - Jiangjun Mountain, Koktokay and Jikepulin - offer better terrain variety and a longer ski season.

Data show that during the 2023-2024 winter season, Altay has received over one million skiers' visits. This year, since late October, the three large ski resorts in Altay are currently receiving over 6,000 skier visits daily.

Thanks to the impact of operation of the Jikepulin Ski Resort, winter tourism in Hemu has rapidly gained popularity over the past two years. The transportation facilities in the village have seen rapid development, and the number of beds in homestays and hotels in the village has exceeded 10,000 so far this year.

"Thanks to the strong support of the current ice and snow policies of the state, both the development of this scenic area and the planning within Hemu Village will continue to improve. Therefore, I believe that this place has a promising future," said Song Xiaotian, owner of a homestay in Hemu Village.

China has unveiled an ambitious plan to grow its ice-and-snow economy, targeting winter sports, tourism and equipment manufacturing as key drivers of economic growth, with a projected value of 1.5 trillion yuan (about 0.21 trillion U.S. dollars) by 2030.

Winter sports boost tourism market in northwest China's Xinjiang

The death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon in the latest round of Israel-Hezbollah conflict that broke out on October 8, 2023 has climbed to 3,754, with injuries rising to 15,626, said Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health on Sunday.

At least 84 people were killed and 213 others injured on Saturday alone, the Ministry of Public Health reported. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Sunday night reported 12 airstrikes against Hezbollah command centers in the southern suburbs of Beirut. The IDF's statement said Hezbollah used these facilities to plan attacks against Israel and monitor IDE operations in southern Lebanon. The statement alleged that the IDF had taken multiple measures to reduce harm to civilians.

On the same day, Hezbollah reported over 42 attacks against Israel from early Sunday, covering Israeli settlements, military targets and forces stationed in northern and central Israel as well as southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military reported Hezbollah had fired around 250 rockets towards northern and central Israel on that day, with some rockets intercepted and others causing damage in various parts of Israel. According to Israeli medical services, at least 11 people were injured in rocket attacks.

In southern Lebanon, one Lebanese army soldier was killed and 18 others were injured, including some wounded badly, on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike targeting a Lebanese army post, and the post was also severely damaged, the Lebanese army said in a statement posted on social media platform X.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that Israel's attack against the Lebanese army conveys a bloody message that Israel rejects all efforts to reach a ceasefire.

Lebanon's Minister of Education Abbas Halabi announced that starting from Monday, all public and private schools, middle schools, vocational technical colleges, and higher education institutions in designated areas will suspend in-person classes and start remote learning. This decision covers multiple areas including Beirut.

Death toll from Israeli strikes on Lebanon rises to 3,754