China’s Indoor Ski Industry Booms With Intense Summer Heat

China is well known for being a leader in innovation, both technologically and culturally. China is also a massive country, ranking either the third or fourth largest on earth depending on whether one counts water boundaries and the second largest by population. Certain areas of China, such as Wuxi, in east China’s Jiangsu Province, get incredibly hot and humid in the summer. For many of us, dreams of a crisp day on the slopes are still months away. Lucky for the residents of Wuxi, a day spent skiing is a reality all year.

Bonski is an indoor ski resort chain that operates 11 facilities across China, with a planned Australia expansion. The Wuxi location offers 188,368 square feet (17,500 square meters) of terrain, with both beginner and intermediate slopes. The intermediate slope has a length of 453 ft (138 m) and an incline of 11 degrees. Temperatures in the facility are a year round 23 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit (-5 to -2 Celsius), while temperatures outside can easily soar into the high 90s F (30s C.) The ski area has seen impressive visitor numbers since the pandemic, welcoming over 300,000 guests annually.

Lai Ping, the ski areas marketing manager, told China.org “family groups have become the main consumer force this summer, and the demand for escaping extreme heat has grown significantly. When outdoor temperatures remain high, the resort maintains a temperature of minus 6 C [21 F]. The dramatic contrast itself has become part of the attraction.”

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Further south, in the mega city of Shenzhen with over 17 million residents, is Bonski’s largest property. Shenzhen Qianhai Huafa Snow World is the world’s largest indoor ski area. The indoor property covers an astounding 1,076,391 square feet (100,000 square meters). Its longest run measures 1,640 ft (500 m) and has a vertical drop of 272 feet (83 meters). The massive property has five professional ski slopes across a range of difficulties totaling 5,148 feet (1,569 meters) in length. It also offers two terrain parks and a 4,000-square-meter ice and snow wonderland with 14 interactive attractions.

Although the resort only opened a year ago, it has already welcomed over one million visitors. Instead of focusing solely on the sales of lift tickets, the ski area has chosen to diversify its offerings to welcome non-skiing guests. The ski area offers festivals, sports competitions, pet-friendly social events and nighttime activities, turning skiing from a seasonal sport into a full-on summer lifestyle experience.

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Lai went on to say that although the company already operates 11 indoor ski areas across China, this is just the beginning for Bonski. The company will continue to focus on its international and domestic expansion, as well as focus on more international-level events to create a nationwide network for visitor exchange. China’s ice-and-snow economy surpassed one trillion yuan ($148 billion) for the first time last year and is expected to reach 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030. If these trends continue, China will continue to be the forerunner and dominant force in what could become a new summer trend across the globe.