Check out the 5 most worthwhile ski resorts in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai in 2021. Just save this article!
Preface
How are you going to spend this winter? Staying cozy indoors to watch TV and eat melons, or brave the sweltering temperatures and go out for a spin? Back when I was working at a ski resort, skiing was my biggest winter activity!
This sport, accessible to all ages, instantly brightens up a dull winter day. It's a sport you'll love once you try it, and you'll also get to see the unique beauty of winter. Even if you can't skate, watching the experts do it is a great way to feel good! As you skate, you'll start to think you're like this 👇
Picture @Little Red Book Li
However, in reality and in the eyes of friends, you may be like this👇
Face brake, chest brake, butt brake... I taught myself this. If you don’t believe me, go and try it. It’s so fun and so cool!
Image @XiaohongshuIndy MFG Co.
I have to admit that when it comes to skiing, people in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai are really working hard. The skiing conditions in the south are not as good as those in the north. If we don’t have the conditions, we can create them!
So, I went to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai to find out. There are actually quite a few ski resorts to visit! It's only a 2.5-hour drive, so you can enjoy a couple of weekends. Ski resorts in Zhejiang are starting to open soon! They'll run from early December to mid-to-late March next year.
Damingshan Wansongling Ski Resort▲
Not only can you experience the charming scenery of Jiangnan's ice and snow, but you can also experience the fun of Northeast China's fairytale paradise right at your doorstep. For a fraction of the cost of flying to the north to ski, you can have the joy of winter snow fun!
Today, I will list 5 ski resorts in Zhejiang that are worth visiting (some of them have hot springs). They are not far from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. I will talk about their advantages and disadvantages. Well, let me make it clear first 🙋 that they are definitely incomparable to the ski resorts in the north. They are suitable for skiing novices and those who can't travel far but want to play in the snow!
Call your friends and take the whole family to exercise, soak in a hot spring when you are tired, and have a mutton hotpot, so that you can make the most of this winter when you can’t leave the province!
The graceful Jiangnan also has alpine skiing!
01. Damingshan Wansongling Ski Resort
Zhejiang's long-established alpine ski resort
📍Daming Mountain, Lin'an District, Hangzhou / Recommendation Index 5★
Tips:
Snow trails: 1 practice trail, 1 beginner trail, 1 intermediate trail
Snow entertainment facilities: rich
Advantages: large drop, advanced equipment, 50,000 square meters of snow play area and 20,000 square meters of ski area
Disadvantages: A little crowded on weekends, traffic jams on the way back and forth, catering needs to be improved
Remember last year's winter festival? Daming Mountain is still Daming Mountain! But once the snow falls, it transforms into the Wansongling Alpine Ski Resort! Wansongling is a long-established ski resort in Zhejiang Province. Located behind Daming Lake, at an altitude of over 1,100 meters, it's a true alpine forest ski resort.
Daming Mountain in winter is a great place to enjoy ice and snow. You can slide freely in the white snow and experience the most charming "Jiangnan Frontier Scenery" here.
Wansongling Ski Resort has a high altitude, good facilities and a large scale (60,000 square meters of ski area + 20,000 square meters of snow entertainment area), making it the first choice for many people who are skiing for the first time.
With ski slopes of varying sizes and three levels of difficulty, the resort offers a limited number of ski slopes, yet they are professional. The beginner and intermediate slopes are rated SS quality, approximately 60 meters wide and with a 100-meter drop, making individual ski slopes comparable to professional-grade slopes.
Newbies don’t have to worry, they can ask professional ski coaches for guidance. Only when you really learn to ski can you understand the romance and excitement of skiing!
Wansongling Ski Resort has a 5,000-square-meter snow play area and a 20,000-square-meter ski area, which can accommodate 1,500 people and is also a good place for team building.
The ski resort has two ski slopes, one for beginners and one for intermediate, both about 1,000 meters long with a maximum drop of 250 meters. The most advanced snowmaking machines from Italy and the United States ensure that the ski resort will not be "bald" even when the temperature warms up.
If you can stay a night at the foot of Daming Mountain and enjoy the tranquility and comfort of Tuankou Hot Springs, you can grab a head start on skiing the next day! For those who want to combine hot springs and hot springs, Lin'an is definitely a top choice!
/Tuankou Hot Spring/
Located just an hour from Damingshan Ski Resort, this hot spring town is a great choice for a short break after skiing. Tuankou Hot Springs, also known as Tianmushan Hot Springs, dates back over 1,300 years! Besides containing common ingredients, it's also rich in special compounds like radon, fluorine, strontium, barium, and spar, offering valuable medical and health benefits. You can also visit nearby Liuxi River and Ruijing Stone Flower Cave.
After a relaxing soak and a well-deserved rest, while others are still driving to Damingshan the next day, you've already arrived at the ski resort, avoiding the afternoon crowds and starting your day with a comfortable and enjoyable skiing. It's also a great value for money!
02. Tonglu Shengxianli Ski Resort
Canyon Wind Ski Resort, 3 million years old
📍Hecun Township, Tonglu County, Hangzhou City / Recommended star rating 4★
Tips:
Snow trails: 1 beginner trail, 2 intermediate trails, 1 surfing trail
Entertainment facilities: Yes, but limited
Advantages: The rental equipment is new, the snowsuits are of good quality, and there is no need to queue for the cable car
Disadvantages: Few entertainment options, catering needs to be improved
Tonglu, a picturesque region blessed with natural beauty, was once the seat of Zhaode County during the Tang Dynasty. Amidst these breathtaking mountains and rivers, Shengxianli Ski Resort offers a unique ski experience—a 360-degree panoramic view—and a grand spectacle: 100,000 square meters of fully covered snow.
The ski resort is 900 meters above sea level and has a total skiable area of 100,000 square meters! You don't need to take a cable car to get to the ski resort; just enter the scenic area, change scenery, and transfer to the bus, saving you the time it takes to queue for the cable car.
The scenery along the way to the ski resort is also very beautiful. You can appreciate the unique canyon landscape of the Quaternary glacial ruins. The snow trails in Shengxianli are not only suitable for novice skiers, but also very considerate for advanced players. There is 1 beginner trail, 2 intermediate trails and 1 surfing trail.
The snowsuits and snow gear in Shengxianli are all very new. The snowsuits are warm, windproof, waterproof and available in a variety of colors. Even if you don’t bring your own equipment, you can still be the coolest guy on the entire ski slope!
In previous years, after skiing, I was so exhausted from rolling around in the snow that I didn’t want to drive anymore. I followed China-TravelNote and took a bus to go skiing. There were also routes with instructors and vacation packages to choose from. The cost-effectiveness was superb!
Hot spring skiing, the ultimate experience of ice and fire!
03. Anji Yunshang Grassland Ski Resort
Hokkaido's same alpine ski resort
📍Huzhou Anji/Recommended star rating 5★
Tips:
Ski slopes: 2 beginner slopes, 1 intermediate slope, 1 advanced slope
Entertainment facilities: A large snow park with complete supporting facilities
Advantages: The ski resort opened in 2020 with new equipment; the powder snow experience is great!
Cons: Expensive on weekends, but we had a package deal!
Anji Yunshang Grassland is one of the most popular ski resorts in East China. The project is still under development, and the first phase of the project, covering 80,000 square meters, has already surpassed Daming Mountain to become the largest ski resort in East China.
Who would have thought that there is powder snow similar to that in Hokkaido! This is very rare in ski resorts in the south. In the winter, you can even see rime on the Yunshang Grassland, which is very beautiful!
The Yunshang Grassland Starry Sky Ski Resort, located at an altitude of 1,168 meters and covering a total area of 80,000 square meters, can accommodate 5,000 skiers at a time. Even large companies can come for team building, and as long as the boss is willing to pay, the ski resort is stress-free!
The skis are all imported ELAN, and they're all brand new! If you get tired of skiing, there's a massive 10,000-square-meter snow park nearby, offering tubing, snowmobiling, and more. Yunshang Grassland rivals northern ski resorts in both its skiing and equipment, and most of its instructors are from the north, so even if you're new to the sport, you can still fall in love with it.
As the top ski resort in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, it is very convenient to come to from Shanghai and Hangzhou. You can enjoy skiing, hot springs, ATV off-roading, and stay in a homestay. All the joy of winter is here. It’s so satisfying!
After skiing, if you have enough time, you can also experience the glass plank road, the sea of clouds trestle, flying steps, aerial bicycles, cliff bungee jumping...
04. Jiangnan Tianchi Ski Resort
Tangquan's famous ski resort
📍Huzhou Anji/Recommended star rating 3★
Tips:
Number of ski trails: Single trail, 800 meters long with a drop of 40 meters
Entertainment facilities: Few
Advantages: convenient transportation, complete supporting facilities, and a hot spring next to the hotel
Disadvantages: The facilities are relatively old and there is only one ski slope
As one of the earliest outdoor ski resorts opened in Jiangnan, Jiangnan Tianchi Ski Resort is nestled among lush mountains and bamboos, beside the magnificent Tianchi Lake. It covers an area of over 60,000 square meters and has very wide ski slopes with a drop of 30 to 40 meters. It is divided into advanced, intermediate and beginner areas, children's snow ring trails and a snow play area.
The crystal world is integrated with the beautiful natural scenery. The ski resort is built on the mountain. Because it is a very mature ski resort, the infrastructure is very complete.
Jiangnan Tianchi is a single snow track with a total length of 500-600 meters and a drop of 30-40 meters, which is very suitable for beginners to practice.
Even if you don’t ski, it’s nice to build snowmen, have snowball fights, and reminisce about your childhood!
Its highlight is that it is next to the high mountain hot spring area. After skiing and sweating, you must go to its own Jiangnan Tianchi Hot Spring City to experience the excitement of ice and fire!
/Jiangnan Tianchi Hot Spring City/
Jiangnan Tianchi Hot Spring City is quite famous in Zhejiang! Built in a narrow valley, it is a high mountain bamboo sea hot spring. The hot spring water here is sweet and is said to be drinkable.
Thanks to the geological resources of the Tianmu Mountains, the hot springs here are carbonated springs, which are very unique. No one should disagree that skiing and hot springs are the "best CP in winter". What could be more comfortable than soaking in a hot spring after skiing!
There are more than 50 outdoor pools of various sizes divided into different themed areas. The springs are like "ice and fire" above and below. You can slide for 2-3 hours and then walk for 10 minutes to soak in the hot springs to let your skin be fully moisturized!
Afraid of the wind? Enjoy the indoor ice and snow world all year round!
05. Shaoxing Qiaobo Ice and Snow World
A ski resort where you can enjoy snow and ice in all four seasons
📍Shaoxing City/Recommendation Index 3★
Tips:
Snow trails: 1 beginner trail, 1 intermediate trail
Entertainment facilities: Snow park specially designed for children
Advantages: Indoor ski resort, open all year round, suitable for family outings
Disadvantages: The indoor experience is not as exciting as outdoor skiing, and the venue is limited
My friends who love skiing usually go to Daming Mountain during the snowy season and Qiaobo during the off-season. Shaoxing Qiaobo Ice and Snow World Ski Resort is the only skiing venue in Zhejiang Province that offers all-season skiing. It's also very close to downtown Keqiao, making transportation very convenient!
With a construction area of nearly 40,000 square meters, the ski resort has a snowboard park, beginner/intermediate ski slopes, and a children's snow park, ensuring that single and double-board ski enthusiasts can enjoy the joy of skiing all year round.
In addition, the internationally advanced artificial snowmaking equipment and refrigeration technology provide the best snow quality, and you can also enjoy health massage in the warm rest hall of the sauna center.
The beginner's trail is 200 meters long, and the intermediate and advanced trail is 300 meters long. This is a children's snow park designed specifically for children, allowing them to fully develop their innocent nature in a fairy-tale world. Friends who are afraid of the biting cold wind, this is the place!
Conclusion
The pandemic has put a damper on many of our hobbies, so check out this comprehensive skiing guide for Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai—you can have a blast even without leaving the province or even driving! Once it's safe, let's head out to the snow together!
