WITH the current pandemic, we may not be able to travel to the Rocky Mountains or the Alps to enjoy the fun of skiing, but Chongli, only a bit over a three hours’ drive from Beijing and with its snow cover lasting for over five months, is without doubt a nice option for skiing. Located between 40 and 50 degrees north latitude, the same as the Rocky Mountains and the Alps, Chongli is one of the largest ski zones in China and also the most ideal natural ski area in the country. It will also serve as the site for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Currently, Chongli is home to seven ski resorts with different features. In this article, we will introduce these resorts, providing nice options for you. Cuiyunshan Galaxy Ski Resort Cuiyunshan Galaxy Ski Resort is the youngest among the seven ski resorts of Chongli. Thanks to its unique geographical location, the snow park features suitable temperatures and static wind. The first-phase snow area reaches 300,000 square meters, with the total length of ski trails reaching more than 10 kilometers. With the exclusive children’s teaching area and a professional teaching system, the ski resort is an ideal place for skiing lovers to learn and practice. It’s also a nice option for families to have fun together. The resort is rich in forest resources and its snow cover lasts for about four months. The snow trails are named after the 12 constellations. The trail named “Virgo” is an elementary trail starting from the top of a mountain and ending at the foot of the hill. The total length reaches 1,830 meters. There are a total of 12 ski trails, including three advanced ones, six medium-level ones, and three elementary ones. Dolomiti Ski Resort Surrounded by nine mountains, Dolomiti Ski Resort has natural snow that is 1.5 meters deep and persists for more than 150 days. Currently the ski trail area exceeds 300,000 square meters. As the first foreign-funded ski resort in Chongli, Dolomiti inherits the 100-year-old industrial experience and professional operation concepts found in Italy. It provides the romantic, elegant and fashionable living style of Italy. Apart from professional trails, the resort is also equipped with different snow amusement areas such as the children’s amusement park and the forest chasing trail. It’s also a national ski training base. There are a total of 10 ski trails, including advanced ones, medium-level ones, elementary ones, a wave trail and others. Changchengling Ski Resort As a long-standing ski resort, Changchengling Ski Resort hasn’t gone through any expansion over the years. It mainly serves as a training base for athletes. For average skiers, it may not be very much fun. Covering an area of about 98 hectares, the base is only a few kilometers away from the snow sports site of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, and it has a similar climate as the site. There are a total of four ski trails of different levels. (Chen Xiaochun) | 