Photo: VCG

 
The inaugural Altay Mountains Winter Sports Games commenced on Monday night in Altay, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with over 150 foreign and domestic athletes participating. 

Foreign athletes, from countries ranging from Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, as well as Chinese representatives from cities and regions across Xinjiang, will take part in competitions spanning seven sports and 37 sub-events, including speed skating, short track speed skating, figure skating, cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, snowboarding, and ski mountaineering.

"Hosting a series of events will boost the development of winter sports tourism and the ice and snow economy," said Delida Nabi, deputy secretary of the Party Group and director of the Cultural, Sports, Radio, Television, and Tourism Bureau of Altay Prefecture. 

Ice events will take place at the All-Season Sports Park in Altay and the Fuhai County Ice Sports Center, while snow events will be held at the Jiangjunshan Ski Resort and the Sa'erkuobu Cross-Country Skiing Venue. 

"The event will enhance ice and snow sports exchanges with neighboring countries, demonstrate exchanges and integration among ethnic groups, promote local high-quality development, and drive tourism consumption," said Delida Nabi.

Situated in the golden latitude zone for world-class skiing, the Altay region is recognized as one of China's premier natural skiing destinations. 

It is one of China's highest-quality natural skiing areas and an important training base for alpine skiing and cross-country skiing athletes. It attracts snow sports teams from various regions to train in Altay. 

Ice and snow sports competitions play an important role in improving sports technology and enhancing the health of the masses, officials said.

They also make positive contributions to the discovery and cultivation of ice and snow sports reserve talents in the Altay region, raising awareness of ice and snow fitness among the public.

The popular Jiangjunshan Ski Resort is just 15 kilometers away from Altay downtown, which is just half an hour away by car, allowing it to be a ski resort that enjoys downtown convenience. 

Local authorities have also provided convenient transportation and accommodation services to the tourists, as the region attracts thousands of tourists every winter season.

"World-class mountains and world-class snow call for world-class facilities and services," a banner at the entrance of the Jiangjunshan Ski Resort reads. 

"The ski slopes here are wide, and the snow is good, suitable for beginners like us. I came here last year and found it good," Xiao from Shanghai, who is visiting Altay for the second time this year, told the Global Times.