by sportswriter He Leijing

NANJING, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Outside, a heatwave sweeps across Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, but inside an indoor ski resort, winter arrives in an instant. Visitors swap t-shirts for ski suits and boots, trading summer heat for the thrill of snowy slopes.

"Skiing in summer is such a refreshing experience, and I can do it right in my hometown," said Wuxi resident Zhou Lin, who glided down a 138-meter slope at the Bonski indoor ski resort.

A beginner when she first arrived, Zhou has now made the indoor ski resort her favorite destination this summer, returning almost every week as she gradually masters more advanced techniques.

Behind Zhou, the beginner slopes were filled with first-timers carefully finding their balance - parents holding their children's hands, and groups of college students enjoying a cool escape from the summer heat.

Located in Wuxi's Binhu District, the Bonski resort covers 17,500 square meters. Since the beginning of summer, visitor numbers have surged, with the venue receiving around 300,000 visitors annually, according to Lai Ping, the resort's marketing manager.

"Family groups have become the main consumer force this summer, and the demand for escaping extreme heat has grown significantly," Lai said. "When outdoor temperatures remain high, the resort maintains a temperature of minus 6 degrees Celsius. The dramatic contrast itself has become part of the attraction."

To cater to family visitors, the resort expanded its snow-play area by 4,000 square meters this summer, adding Nordic-style snow cabins, a 120-meter ice slide and giant ice sculptures. The immersive winter scenes have drawn visitors eager to capture memorable moments.

"We originally came here just to cool off, but once we entered, we were drawn in by the immersive ice-and-snow atmosphere," said Shanghai visitor Zhang Xiaoyi, who brought her child to the resort.

A similar wave of enthusiasm has emerged some 100 kilometers away at the Alps Snow Live indoor ski resort in Jiangsu's Taicang.

More than 100 pet dogs dashed across the snow slopes, wagging their tails as cheering spectators looked on inside the resort. The event, dubbed "pet skiing," was launched for the first time this summer and quickly attracted large numbers of pet owners from nearby cities.

The resort has also introduced activities including a "Snow Splash Festival" and a "Snow Mountain Beer Festival," transforming the indoor ski venue into a lively summer destination.

Since the beginning of the year, the resort has welcomed more than 350,000 visitors, significantly exceeding expectations, said Li Ling, general manager of brand marketing at Taicang Alps International Resort, expecting summer visitors alone to surpass 200,000.

The resort's first phase covers 91,000 square meters and includes five international-standard ski slopes. Its longest slope stretches 280 meters, supported by eight conveyor systems that carry skiers uphill, allowing the venue to accommodate up to 8,000 visitors a day.

"More and more Chinese parents are realizing that instead of keeping their children indoors with air conditioning and electronic devices during the summer vacation, they can come to this 'snowy air-conditioned room' and learn new skills," Li said.

Rather than relying solely on ski tickets, the resort is seeking to redefine the business model by combining sports competitions, festivals, pet-friendly social events and nighttime activities, turning skiing from a seasonal sport into a summer lifestyle experience.

"Summer ice-and-snow activities have helped drive surrounding hotel bookings up by about 40 percent year-on-year," Li said. "Ice-and-snow consumption is expanding beyond the slopes, shifting from simply selling tickets to selling a lifestyle."

China's online travel platforms have also recorded a sharp rise in demand. Since July, bookings for indoor ski resorts have doubled compared with the same period last year.

At Shanghai's Yaoxue Ice World, China's largest indoor ski resort, summer crowds have remained strong. In Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, the Huafa Ice and Snow World, which opened less than a year ago, has already welcomed more than one million visitors.

The rapid growth reflects a broader transformation in China's ice-and-snow economy. A recent report showed that during the 2025-2026 winter season, the number of people participating in ice and snow sports reached 308 million. By the end of last year, China had 2,626 ice and snow sports venues, many of them located in southern regions where natural snowfall is rare.

Driven by China's strategy of expanding winter sports beyond traditional northern regions, indoor ski resorts have become an important platform for southern cities to overcome geographical limitations and integrate sports, culture and tourism.

Lai said Bonski is now operating 11 indoor ski resorts nationwide and plans to further develop patterns of ice and snow plus education and ice and snow plus competitions, while introducing more international-level events and creating a nationwide network for visitor exchanges.

Li added that there were opportunities for greater cooperation between northern and southern China's ice-and-snow industries.

"The two regions can form an organic partnership," Li said. "The north has natural snow resources and a strong competitive foundation, making it an ideal training ground for advanced skiers. The south has a huge consumer market and frequent indoor experiences, making it an ideal location for introducing people to the sport."

"When young people in the south fall in love with skiing and later travel north to experience natural snowfields, a positive cycle emerges - the south cultivates beginners, while the north helps develop future athletes," she said.

China's ice-and-snow economy surpassed one trillion yuan (148 billion U.S. dollars) for the first time last year and is expected to reach 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030.

Wu Guoping, a tourism industry expert, said the north can focus on winter outdoor ski tourism, while the south can develop year-round indoor experiences. "Through technology sharing, visitor exchanges, joint tourism routes and cooperation on events, the ice-and-snow economy can continue to grow into a bigger market."