Mon, November 24, 2008
CHANGCHUN, Northeast China -- The 2008/2009 skiing season of northeast China's Changchun started here Sunday, bringing international skiing events and snow-related activities to its citizens in the coming three months.
This year's ski season will last 100 days, including an ice and snow carnival, a national freestyle skiing competition, the freestyle skiing competition of 2008-2009 World Cup, a photography competition on snow and ice, and other exciting events.
Besides competitions, visitors and local citizens could also enjoy recreational activities, such as snowboarding and snow house cafe, according to Wang Jin, vice director of Changchun's Travel Bureau.
"Changchun has already four skiing resorts with 18 snow tracks and four cross-country tracks, covering over 400,000 square meters, and it takes no more than half an hour to drive from downtown to these skiing resorts. These advantages allow Changchun to hold international skiing events and become a famous skiing city in China," said Wang.
The first snowboard park in northeast China also opened on Sunday inside a skiing resort in Lotus Hill of Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province.
Members of China's most influential snowboard club, the 9010 Club, appeared at the park's opening ceremony with snowboard fans from all around China, presenting somersaults, grabs, zig-zags, and other stunts of this extreme sport.
"More and people, especially youngsters, are taking part in snowboarding," said Yu Yanan, general manager of the Lotus Hill Skiing Resort of Changchun.
The park will be used for snowboard competitions. And it will also be a place for snowboard fans to enjoy themselves, said Yu.
The freestyle skiing competition of 2008-2009 World Cup will be the first international event held in this park, which is scheduled to be staged from December 19 to 20, Yu said.
