Chengdu’s Xiling Snow Mountain, the nearest ski resort to Southeast Asia

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Chengdu’s Xiling Snow Mountain, the nearest ski resort to Southeast Asia

If someone were to ask you about ski resorts in the world, you may think of Kangwondo in South Korea, Davos in Switzerland or Salzburg in Austria. Nowadays, however, you have another answer: Xiling Snow Mountain, which is located in Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan province in China.

You may like the whirling snow in Kangwondo, the well-equipped ski runs in Davos, or the romantic ambience of Salzburg. However, on Xiling Snow Mountain, you will definitely be amazed by the vast snowy forest, modern ski facilities and picturesque landscape.

“The window frames the West Peak with eternal snow, to lie-off Wu the mooring boat by the gate may go.”

The beautiful verses created by famous poet Du Fu (712-770) of the Tang Dynasty are fondly remembered by the Chinese people for over a thousand years. However, some people may not know exactly where the West Peak in the poem (Xiling Snow Mountain) is located. Located near the Chengdu Plain, the mountain always presents the people with enchanting scenery and an air of mystery.

Xiling Snow Mountain, a Heavenly White World
Tourists from Southeast Asia will definitely find it a unique experience to spend a relaxing holiday on a snow mountain. As fascinating as South Korea is, it may be a bit too pricey a destination for some, while the beautiful continent of Europe may be too far away. Therefore, Xiling Snow Mountain, a place of unique natural beauty, is a perfect destination where people can enjoy themselves without worrying too much about cost. In addition, choosing the mountain as a holiday destination will provide a good opportunity to gain an understanding of the profound and distinct Shu Culture of the Chengdu people in ancient times, and not forgetting the tasty food and snacks in Chengdu.
The ski resort on the mountain is the biggest of its kind equipped with up-to-date equipment and facilities in China.

Here the people can ski on snow and grass, and play sports. Standing 2,200 to 2,400 meters above sea level, the ski resort covers an area of seven square kilometers. With a minimum air temperature of -1 0º in winter, the area has a snow season from between November to March, with a thickness of snow of over 60 centimeters.

You can spend about 40 minutes appreciating the spectacular scenery of the sacred mountain, including the sea of clouds and the sunrise by taking a 2,500-meter cable car from Riyueping to the ski resort. Declining and smooth, the ski course is actually an alpine platform, and reputed as the “Alps in the East” thanks to its particularly favorable natural conditions.

Around the mountain there are many amazing natural attractions including Riyueping, where you can enjoy the sea of clouds, the sunrise and Yinyangjie (which rises more than 5,300 meters at the highest). Besides 20 sports activities you can do in the resort, you can relax yourself in the nearby Huashuiwan Hot Springs.

Unique Charms of the Xiling Snow Mountain Tour
1. A Short, Inexpensive Journey.
A tourist from Thailand once said that before he came to know about Xiling Snow Mountain, he always went to Japan and South Korea to ski in winter. But this year, he will take his family to Xiling due to the short journey, enjoyable experience and low costs.

It takes about six hours from Thailand to Japan and South Korea by air, while a flight to Chengdu is only three hours. While skiing expenses in Japan and South Korea could run up to S$2,000, if will cost just about S$1,200 in Chengdu.

2. Xiling, a Mountain beyond Mountains
Besides the Xiling Snow Mountain, which the people believe is a natural gift from God, there are many tourist attractions in and around Chengdu with beautiful natural scenery, magnificent man-made landscapes and splendid cultural legacies and heritages, for which Chengdu has long been known for.

Popular tourist spots include the Hailuogou Scenic Area, a glacier park with the minimum latitude of its kind in the world, the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, which is reputed as a “Fairytale Land on Earth”, the vast prairie in west Sichuan, the Leshan Giant Buddha, an enormous statue of Buddha carved into a cliff, Mount Emei, one of the four Taoist mountains in China, the Sanxingdui and Jinsha cultural relics sites, both with a history of over 3,000 years, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, the greatest water project in ancient China, Huashuiwan Hot Spring, and others.

Fun in a Snow World
An ice and snow festival is being staged at Xiling Snow Mountain annually. Held every end of March, the festival features various programs for visitors such as riding snowmobiles, forest adventures, barbecues and bonfire parties with ethnic performances, special ice sculptures and play hunting games in the snow forest.

During the festival, visitors can ride sleighs drawn by Alaskan Malamutes, ski on a movable ice playground which covers an area of 1,200 square meters, ride a kart on a 2,700-meter gravel road on a road in the snow forest, or just enjoy the scenery and ice sculptures from a hot air balloon.

Skiing Facilities in Xiling Snow Mountain
The resort, which is equipped with 10 trails, possesses 2,000 sets of world brand ski equipment and gear for 2,000 skiers at a time, 35 Skidoos have been imported from Canada and Japan, and some made-in-Europe all-terrain skiing vehicles and sliding tubes are available. Here you can learn various skiing skills under careful instruction of coaches invited from China’s northeastern regions.

Alpine Slideway: You can experience great excitement by taking a 1,500-meter long stainless slideway at the intermediate station for the cableway.
Skiing Facilities: 2,000 meters in length, 15 meters in width and 200 meters in difference of elevation, one of the standard ski runs is equipped with more than 1,500 sets of ski equipment and gear.
Snowmobiles: The snowmobiles running on three lanes 1,000 meters long and 8 meters wide were imported from Canada or Japan.
Snow Flying Disks: There are 3,150 flying disks which are 500 meters long and 20 meters wide, and four slideways, which are 250 meters long and 30 meters wide.
Snake Pulleys: There are 3,000 snake pulleys and 3 slideways.

What tourists say about Xiling Snow Mountain:
“I never expected the ski resort to be so beautiful and well-equipped. I did not expect the Xiling skiing ground to be so beautiful and well-equipped. I feel very happy and relaxed here. ”
-Steven, from Germany

“It’s a marvelous stay in Xiling. It is really a wonderland.”
-Li family, from Malaysia

from The Straits Times 2007-feb-26