Live Your Best Lives
Every Spring Festival, I always go out for some fun, and this year I chose Xinjiang for skiing. Why Xinjiang? Xinjiang's ski resorts are vast (compared to those in southern China)! Xinjiang's ski resorts are smaller (compared to those in southern China)! Xinjiang's ski resorts are affordable (compared to those in southern China)! Here's a guide to skiing Xinjiang's vast ski resorts!
The Silk Road International Ski Resort is located in the "Silk Road International Resort" in the Tianshan Mountains, 38 kilometers south of Urumqi, in the Pingxiliang Scenic Area of Nanshanshuixigou Town, a national forest park. The entire first-class highway transportation is very convenient.
Starting from Urumqi, I drove all the way to the ski resort with the help of Baidu Maps navigation. It took an hour and we arrived very smoothly.
Friends who don't drive can also take the ski resort bus, the route is as follows:
1. Take a bus from Zhongqiao Bus Station on Huanghe Road in Urumqi to Shixigou Town, and then transfer to the ski resort shuttle bus directly to the ski resort;
2. A round-trip tour bus costs RMB 30. A Ford Transit or a business car costs RMB 40 (at your own expense). Please make a reservation one day in advance if you need to take a bus.
Beijing Road Railway Bureau or Zhonghe Hotel entrance: 9:00
Entrance of KFC at Hongshan Youhao Parkson: 9:30
Qiyi Sauce Garden Good Hometown Supermarket entrance: 10:00
Ski resort vehicle return time: 17:00
3. Take the Nanshan Shuixigou bus for a round trip of 26 yuan (take the bus from the Suburban Bus Station, the first bus is at 9:40, and there is a bus every 30 minutes, and the return time is 5:30-18:30)
However, according to my friends who were traveling with me, the ski resort shuttle bus was not reliable and did not show up at the agreed time. To avoid unnecessary trouble, you can directly take a taxi, which costs about 30 yuan per person for three people.
After arriving at the ski resort, we went to the "visitor reception hall" and checked into the "Chinese Culture Hotel" on the first floor. The small standard room had no windows, but it was quite clean. Most of the people staying there were ski enthusiasts.
The resort was packed with tourists during the Spring Festival, but fortunately all services were clearly priced, and the entire resort seemed well managed.
We came here just for skiing, so we packed up quickly, put on all kinds of armor and equipment in the room, and went to the ski resort. The ski resort lobby is on the third floor, and it is very convenient to go to the elevator or stairs.
The Silk Road International Ski Resort covers an area of 12 square kilometers and is one of the three largest ski resorts in China. It can accommodate 10,000 skiers at the same time. It has 8 beginner, intermediate and advanced ski slopes, and a children's and adult ski teaching area equipped with 2 comfortable magic carpets. It also has a 6,000-square-meter ecological hotel, a snow saucer amusement park, a snowboard park, a powered paraglider member flight experience base, and an international standard alpine skating rink.
The windows of the ski hall are clearly marked, and the security level is top-notch. Fully armed special police can be seen everywhere, giving you an overwhelming sense of security.
Skiing procedures
Buy tickets - rent equipment (time starts from the time you rent the first piece of equipment) - check in and change equipment - ski - return equipment - check out.
The ski resort is open from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM during the day and from 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM at night.
The Silk Road International Ski Resort has very new equipment, with attractive-looking snowshoes, a comfortable fit, and easy on and off. Furthermore, for skiers' convenience, the snowboard pick-up area is located right outside the ski area, eliminating the need to carry them around. It's a very user-friendly solution!
The two intermediate ski slopes in the venue are wide, and it is very enjoyable to ski on both single and double boards.
Because there's no sunlight, night skiing is colder and dimmer than daytime skiing. Wearing daytime goggles won't allow you to see anything. I saw that the resort had clear goggles for rent, so I was able to rent one if I needed one.
Night skiing is noticeably less crowded, but the price is incredibly affordable: a night session from 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM costs just 100 yuan! The resort also has snowmobiles specifically for rescue, demonstrating its comprehensive rescue measures.
The Silk Road International Resort is a one-stop ski and entertainment destination, offering exceptional convenience. Simply change into your room and head upstairs to ski. If you're hungry, you can head downstairs for a delicious treat. In the evening, you can relax with a massage in the hot springs. The massages at the resort are pleasurable, performed by skilled technicians, and reasonably priced, ranging from 50 to 300 yuan. Best of all, all activities are held in a large tent, eliminating the need to venture outdoors into the snow.
China-TravelNote route recommendations:
Tianshan International Ski Resort is the largest ski resort in Xinjiang, located only 60 kilometers from downtown Urumqi. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way as you drive to the resort.
Accommodation at Tianshan Ski Resort is handled at the ski hall, but check-in is in another "athlete's apartment" about 500 meters away. The apartment was decent, though the heating was a bit cold. Fortunately, we had a car; otherwise, in the freezing -20°C weather, walking from the apartment to the ski resort would have been a real pain.
The ski resort's reception hall can accommodate 500 people at a time and includes shops and restaurants. The shop can rent protective gear.
Opening hours: 9:30-18:00
All-day skiing costs 270 yuan, no night skiing
Standard room accommodation + skiing, 760 yuan per day.
Tianshan Ski Resort offers services such as alpine skiing, U-shaped trough, freestyle jumping, snowmobiles, ski school, saucer skiing, forest sports, horse-drawn sleigh, horse riding, and aerial cable cars.
The temperature on the mountain was obviously lower, but it was the Spring Festival and the advanced ski slopes were not open, so we went up the 1,800m long intermediate slope - it was the most beautiful ski slope I have ever skied on, no doubt about it.
The cable car going up the mountain is very slow, and a round trip takes less than half an hour (it only takes 4 minutes to slide down the mountain). Fortunately, there are beautiful scenery along the way, and you can look down and see the fancy falls of the ski masters, so it won’t be boring.
However, due to its early opening hours, the facilities at Tianshan Ski Resort are noticeably older. The on-site restaurant offers pilaf, mixed noodles, and barbecue, but after dinner time, there's really nothing to buy. The convenience stores and restaurants are all closed, leaving me with no choice but to spend the long night in my room.
Xinjiang's ski resorts offer a comprehensive selection of beginner, intermediate, and advanced slopes, allowing skiers to choose a course that's suitable for them without feeling overly challenging. Watching ski videos before your trip is highly recommended, especially for beginners, focusing on tips for falls, boarding a cable car, and deceleration. Both snowboard and ski instructional videos are readily available online, and the "Pope Skiing Class" series is recommended.
Personally, I feel that watching videos in advance is more effective than hiring a coach at the ski resort, as long as you are not afraid of falling.
Especially for those who want to learn snowboarding, be sure to prepare knee pads and hip pads. The thicker the better! The thicker the better! The thicker the better!
Wrist guards are also essential for snowboarders, as they instinctively use their hands to support themselves when they fall. The impact on your hands is very painful and can easily lead to injury. To learn quickly and become a master snowboarder, you need to be able to withstand falls! With the right protective gear, you won't be afraid of falling.
Winters in Xinjiang are still incredibly cold, so cold that your hair freezes. When skiing, be sure to wear a thick face mask; a thin one will freeze all over as you slide. Also, be sure to wear windproof ski clothing. If you're still cold, use heat packs on your back and knees.
It is recommended to wear a thin hat inside the helmet to keep warm and make the helmet more stable.
The more beginners you are in skiing, the more likely you are to sweat because your muscles are very tense. Once you master the movements and form muscle memory, you won't feel so hot. So you should choose clothes according to your own situation.
My attire reference:
During the day, I wear a thermal underwear, a sweater, a three-in-one jacket, a pair of warm cotton pants, a pair of wool pants, and a pair of windproof outer pants. For night skiing, I add an extra sweater and pants. When I'm not skiing, I wear a large down jacket over my jacket.
Don't underestimate the UV rays at the ski resort. Without sunlight, you'll freeze to death. But once the sun comes out, you'll almost certainly get a tan, so be sure to apply sunscreen—the thicker the better. Also, since your nose and cheeks are most exposed and prone to sunburn, you can apply sunscreen patches to them. (You can find them on Taobao.com.)
In addition, the climate in Xinjiang is very dry, so you must apply thick lipstick and face cream.
Security checks in Xinjiang are very strict. You need to scan your ID card or face when checking in at various checkpoints and hotels. Please carry your ID card with you.
Finally, let me share with you the snowy scenery of the Tianshan Mountains. It's undeniable that skiing is life! How can you acquire new skills without falling hard? It's at Xinjiang's lesser-known ski resorts that your dream of freestyle skiing can be fulfilled.
