According to research by the Beijing Ski Association on the development of China's ski industry, China is home to six of the world's eight largest indoor ski venues in terms of snow area as of April 2024. 

The six venues are located in Harbin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Huzhou and Changsha. Except for Harbin, all other five cities are in the warmer southern half of the country.

Skiers and snowboarders wait their turn at an indoor ski slope in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Jan. 12, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

The association identified a total of 60 indoor ski venues nationwide, with the southern provinces of Zhejiang, Hunan and Jiangsu ranking top three in terms of the number of venues. 

During the 2023-2024 snow season, growth in the numbers of skiers showed robust momentum, increasing by 2% in Zhejiang province to 1.27 million and rising by 41.7% further south in Guangdong to 1.02 million.

Many large-scale facilities have been built in recent years. The Shanghai L+SNOW Indoor Skiing Theme Resort in Shanghai's Pudong district received investment of 7 billion yuan and houses one of the world's largest indoor ski venues that covers an area of nearly 99,000 square meters. Since opening last September, it has received around 2,000 visitors daily, rising to over 8,000 a day during the Spring Festival. As an important leisure project in the city, the venue has significantly enriched Shanghai's tourism offerings. 

With a total investment of 36.7 billion yuan, a new indoor ski venue is scheduled to open in Shenzhen by the end of 2025. With a snow area of 100,000 square meters, it is expected to set a new record for all indoor venues. 

The utilization of technologies such as artificial snowmaking and smart temperature control has been key to indoor skiing's rapid development in south China where temperatures are higher and snow is rarely seen in the winter. The bright side of this is that indoor facilities can operate all year round because they do not rely on natural snowfall like outdoor venues in the north that typically open for only a few months a year. 

Fuqing city in the southeastern province of Fujian plans to build an indoor skiing site this year, and will utilize liquefied natural gas (LNG) cold energy to cut energy consumption. This model can be replicated in other coastal cities since they are also ideal locations for LNG terminals. 

Meanwhile, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies are helping to enrich the skiing experience. Guangzhou Bonski indoor ski area deploys VR skiing simulators to create immersive experiences such as polar exploration and downhill skiing. Meanwhile, the Shanghai L+SNOW Indoor Skiing Theme Resort has developed AR-enabled games with snow and ice themes to boost interaction with visitors. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data technologies are also improving operation efficiency at skiing venues, while Internet of Things technology is being used to monitor snow quality. Visitor spending data is collected to optimize catering and retailing services to attract repeat customers. AI prediction and scheduling systems also help shorten waiting times, and widely applied smart security systems ensure safety by immediately identifying when skiers fall down or bump into each other. 

A unique feature of indoor skiing in south China is its combination with other elements such as local culture, physical education, wellness and e-sports. Rich entertainment forms such as role-playing games, variety shows and digital art have all been incorporated to attract visitors. 

In general, indoor skiing facilities in the south are more suitable for families and new learners, providing VR skiing simulators and other amusements. With lower prices and longer operation periods, they are an appealing option for visitors and have a bright future business-wise, although there are still pressures from the large investment sums required.

In recent years, the government has issued a raft of policies to promote winter sports and related industries. However, the sound development of the ice and snow industry requires some further standardization in terms of safety, equipment manufacturing and services, including coaching qualifications.