China is a country we know, but don’t really know it, writes Phil Osborn. How is China’s emerging winter tourism evolving and is China worth visiting?
Photos by Jimmy Ky Panda & Siberian Tiger.
I touched down in Beijing, for my first visit to China with the goal to explore the two north east Provinces of Jilin and Heilongjang, plus experience the Great Wall of China and Beijing. Australia is intertwined with China on trade, as our number one export destination. Every day in Australia on the news we hear details of the political or economic happenings in China. We hear about Chinese real estate challenges, potentially impacting the Australian export of iron ore prices. Or we hear about the rise of China’s EV cars and solar panel manufacturing. For a country we hear so much about, I’m now wondering why I know so little about life in China? From a snow perspective, my only real knowledge of it was from watching the Winter Olympics in 2022, which was amazing, but it looked like it lacked a lot of snow when watching the Big Air at venues near Beijing. So I wasn’t really sure how different Jilin and Heilongjang would be to the areas closer to Beijing. For me, this is exactly why travelling to discover China first hand is so exciting and rewarding. Without a doubt, this is a must visit destination, that will surprise you, that will challenge your pre-conceived ideas of China. And seeing Pandas and Siberian Tigers in the snow is amazing.
Check out the video made by Sydney travel photographer, Jimmy Ky of our trip together through China.
Beijing International Airport & 30 Day Visa Free Travel & We Chat:
We arrived at Beijing International Airport, an enormous modern airport. While we were entering the country, the world’s best skiers and snowboarders were arriving for the FIS Big Air competition at Beijing. For many of the guys I spoke to, this was their first time back since the Winter Olympics in 2022. So it was cool to talk to them about the Winter Olympics. They were equally intrigued to learn more about the North East Provinces of China and most of them have only attended these Winter Olympic venues close to Beijing.
The visa entry process was as simple as checking a box, acknowledging we don’t need a visa on the entry card. Australians can now access 30 days visa free travel. Removing the visa requirement saves over $160 per person and lots of extra paperwork hassle, so this will be welcomed by Australian travellers.
One key travel advice we can offer, is to download We Chat to your smartphone and connect your credit card to make payments basically everywhere in China. I was surprised to see We Chat was accepted everywhere I went in China. I didn’t download We Chat until I was in China, and soon discovered how crucial it is to have on your phone and operating for payments.
The Great Wall of China
Our first stop is the Great Wall of China. We visited the Mutianyu area of the Great Wall of China. Entry cost 200 yuan with gondola access. Virtually every person in Australia is familiar with the Great Wall of China, so to put foot on this ancient structure was a fantastic experience. We were the first visitors of the day to enter the area and got to experience the structure with no crowds. Winter is a great time to visit, as the Great Wall isn’t packed with tourist. Just remember to bring your passport, as they scan your passport on entry – it functions as your entry ticket.
The Great Wall is an impressive structure. The mountain terrain the Great Wall is located in, is steep and is a daunting natural barrier. The Great Wall cements the terrain as impassable. I can only imagine, the threat of the Mongolians must have posed to China. The fertile land of China was an appealing target for Mongolians, who lived a more nomadic lifestyle due to less fertile land.
At the base of the Great Wall entry is a wide range of food and souvenier options. Haggling is a part of theatre of buying in the various market stalls. A key phrase to know is “tai gui le” which means too expensive? I love my warm Panda hat. I have to thank my travel guides for buying a panda hat first and doing all the haggling of the price.
Beijing:
The metropolis of Beijing is enormous, with 21 million residents. It’s the centre of pollical power in China. It’s a modern, vibrant city. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Beijing in the Chaoyang District. The area we are in is in the heart of the city and a great place to base yourself in Beijing.
Moving around Beijing on the metro is affordable and fast. From our hotel, we travelled two stops to a vibrant and bustling street food location called Nanlugu Xiang or South Luogu Lane, which is a narrow alley that gives its name to an old part of the Beijing city centre with traditional architecture. The area is lined with traditional single level homes, converted into the full array of small retail shops and food vendors. It’s a buzzing atmosphere.
Nanluogu Xiang was built in the Yuan Dynasty and received its current name during the Qing Dynasty, around 1750. Nanluogu Xiang station of Beijing Subway is located near the south entrance of the alley.
In Beijing, you have to try a Pekin Duck meal. It’s the famous dinner of the city. What makes a Pekin Duck meal special is the thin meat, with crisp skin that is sliced delicately in front of diners by chefs. To really enjoy Beijing, I’d recommend at least 3 nights. It’s a major city, that is really fascinating. It’s modern, yet ancient and will reward you with many great experiences.
Heading North East to ski
The focus of our trip to China was the North Eastern Provinces of Jilin and Heilongjang. We travelled via the bullet train from Beijing Chaoyang Railway Station to Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province. The train moved quickly, travelling at speeds of over 300kms per hour. The trip took 6 hours. Next year, a new direct high-speed service will cut the time to four hours with less stops and faster trains.
Jilin Province:
Jilin Province is home to 19 ski resorts and is covered in snow during winter. Jilin has a population of 24 million, around the same size as all of Australia’s population. Jilin Province is actively supporting the development of ski resorts in this mountainous region, as it transforms itself into a winter tourism destination from industrial roots. The Changbai Mountain range separates China from North Korea. It has traditionally been a hot spring destination for domestic Chinese tourists. Ski resorts are a more recent development, with increased leisure time for Chinese driving the demand.
The four nationally recognised resorts, with international appeal, are the Lake Songhua Resort, Changbai Mountain Wanda International Resort, Beidahu Ski Resort, and Wanfeng Tonghua Ski Resort. If you are planning a ski trip to China, these 4 resorts should be on your radar.
On our visit, we visited Heping Ski Resort, a purpose-built resort catering to entry level skiers that are flocking to learn how to ski and snowboard in China. The snow quality here was excellent for skiing or snowboarding and the perfect setting for giving new and intermediate skiers and snowboarders a great opportunity to develop their skills.
China now has 34 million skiers, who mostly fall into the beginner and intermediate category. China now has close to 800 ski resorts catering for this emerging market and in the big cities there are now 50 indoor ski centres helping to get new skiers into the sport.
Heilongjang Province:
With a population of 30+ million Heilongjang Province has the deepest history for skiing in China. Heilongjang is China’s northernmost province. It’s named after the Heilong (Black Dragon) river, bordering Russia.
Harbin
Harbin is the capital, and is famous for its Russian architecture. I loved the Russian Orthodox Saint Sophia Cathedral. Discovering Harbin was an absolute highlight of our trip to China. Central street or locally known as Zhongyang Street, is picturesque pedestrian only street built in 1898 when China Eastern Railway, a railway crossing Manchuria, was under construction, making Harbin a major railway hub and prospering the city. In 1925, cobblestone was paved on the street with great costs in order to prevent erosion from the nearby Songhua River. By 1920s, the street has become an international street with more than one hundred shops. On our visit, the Harbin Asian Winter Games 2025 was being promoted heavily at Yubuli Ski Resort in Harbin. The level of detail around the promotion for the Harbin Asian Winter Games was impressive. A double story, high profile location in central street had merchandise and was explaining everything for the local population to get involved. Think Olympic level of investment into the Asian Winter Games and you get my drift on the high value China is placing on winter sports.
In Harbin, you can visit the Siberian Tiger Park. The Siberian Tiger is large and powerful. It’s an incredible animal, that loves the snow.
Yubuli Ski Resort – home to the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games
Yubuli Ski Resort is the largest ski resort in Heilongjang Province. We arrived after a fresh dump of snow, so we were in luck with great conditions in the upper areas of the Sun Mountain area. There is 3 ski areas that make up Yubuli Ski Resort. At the start of December 2024, only Sun Mountain was open to the public. Yubuli Ski Resort is an eclectic destination, with a Panda Pavilion, the world’s longest luge (48 turns that goes for 2.5kms and cost about $60), and infrastructure set-up to run top tier world snow competitions. With all the mountain open, Yubuli Ski Resort would be a fun place to stay for a week skiing.
Ticket prices we accessed included ski or snowboard hire. Half day was around 360 yuan.
Club Med is an option to consider at Yubuli Ski Resort.
How to get there?
Our group arrived via a 3.5-hour bus trip that is 200 kilometres from Harbin.
You can catch a bullet train, which takes approximately 2.5 hour from Harbin with connecting car transport.
Driving a hire car takes around 3 hours, and would be an option if you want to explore the region beyond the ski resort. The roads are well maintained and there is plenty of parking.
Snow Town – China’s snowiest region.
Snow Town is China’s winter fantasy world, set two hours away from Yabuli Ski Resort. Originally a small rural logging village, Snow Town has grown into major tourism drawcard far from its humble beginnings. The buildings and trees are covered in thick snow by the end of November, that creates the perfect backdrop for Snow Town’s success.
The village thoroughfare at night is abuzz with people of all ages enjoying the non-stop entertainment. The temperature is a chilly -14 at Snow Town. We danced with street performers, danced at a snow disco, shopped for ice-cream, walked a forest walk and absorbed the rich atmosphere of Chinese families and friends enjoying their holiday time.
Snow Town is the perfect Instagram location. Entry Price is 120 yean or AUD $26.
Verdict:
Would we recommend China? Absolutely, we would recommend China for a cultural ski trip. This is a massive country to explore. Definitely go to the north east provinces of Jilin and Heilongjang for skiing. We are now keen to discover the north west provinces big mountains and keep exploring more of China. China is an incredible country, with over 1.4 billion people, it’s a deeply interesting country to explore. China’s culture is ancient, but its ski resorts are new and evolving. Watch this space as China continues its skiing and snowboarding evolution. As China’s population embrace skiing and snowboarding more and more, the facilities will only keep improving and developing, particularly in the regions where they are rich in snow and mountains.
Meet the team from China in May for the Snow Travel Expo 2025 in Melbourne 18 May and Sydney 25 May.
