Skiing in China: Dongbei (Jilin and Heilongjiang)

Christoph Mueller | Jan 10, 2013 12:00 pm | Add a comment | 7095 reads

If you plan to spend some quality time skiing in China, here are China’s top ski resorts which have been chosen and tested by a professional Swiss ski instructor.

To get to these ski resorts, the best way is to take a flight to the closest city and from there a taxi or hotel shuttle. If you prefer train travel, be advised that the arrival and departure times are impractical for weekend trips.

YABULI (HEILONGJIANG)
Located around four hours’ drive southeast of Harbin. Though Yabuli is the oldest ski resort in China, it got a USD 100 million makeover in 2008. It offers a 6-passenger cable car serving seven slopes (mostly for advanced and expert skiers) on a vertical drop of around 350 meters. There is a good beginners’ area, but it’s mostly occupied by the Club Med crowd. Due to the constant winds, the beginner slopes get quite hard and icy in the afternoon.
Local hospitality: Yabuli has three 5-star hotels and a range of 2- to 3-star accommodation. The largest hotel on the base of the slopes is occupied by China’s only Club Med, which does not offer English-speaking ski instructors and whose room rates are very steep. The basic hotels are around 5-10 minutes drive from the slopes and cost from RMB 280 (2-star) upwards.
Perfect for: Advanced and expert skiers, travelers who want to combine the Harbin Snow and Ice Festival with a ski trip
Prices: Day pass (includes equipment rental): RMB 500 (Mon-Fri), RMB 600 (Sat-Sun), RMB 700 (holidays). Damage deposit: RMB 1,000.
Season: Nov 24, 2012-Mar 2013 (TBD)
Hours: 8am-4pm
Contact: (+451 5345 8888) www.yabuliski.com

BEIDAHU (JILIN)
Like Yabuli, Beidahu is one of China’s oldest ski resorts and located around two hours’ drive from Jilin City. There are around 500 vertical meters for 12 slopes mostly in the intermediate difficulty level, with a total length of around 20km. The slopes are of decent length. There is one black diamond slope for advanced/expert skiers, which can be considered the most difficult slope in China, especially as it’s never groomed. The slope has around 400 vertical meters with an inclination of up to 37 degrees. Beidahu has a 6-passenger cable car as well as five chairlifts, which are relatively old and slow.
Local hospitality: Two- to 3-star hotels in the area run about RMB 380/night. Next door is a brand-new 5-star hotel which offers rooms from RMB 1,480/night.
Perfect for: Skiers of all levels, apres-ski enthusiasts (Beidahu offers the only real apres-ski bar in a Chinese ski resort), powder junkies
Prices: Day pass (includes equipment rental): RMB 480 (Mon-Fri), RMB 580 (Sat-Sun), RMB 680 (holidays). Damage deposit: RMB 500.
Season: Nov 16, 2012-Mar 2012 (TBD)
Hours: 8.30am-4.30pm
Contact: www.beidahu.gov.cn

CHANGBAISHAN (JILIN)
Changbaishan is located just next to the North Korean border. It’s probably the largest and most ambitious ski resort project in all of China. Three Doppelmayr chair lifts with bubble and seat heating as well as two POMA cable cars give access to 43 slopes with a total length of 30km. Dalian Wanda Group has invested a total of USD 3.4 billion in the resort. Since the ski resort is in close vicinity to Tianchi (Heaven Lake), we highly recommend taking a break from skiing to visit the stunning vista of this volcanic crater lake. The hotel is a 30-minute drive from Changbaishan Airport and a two-hour drive from Yanji Airport.
Local hospitality: There are Sheraton, Westin and Holiday Inn hotels next to the slopes with rates starting from RMB 1,200 per night.
Perfect for: Skiers of all levels who appreciate state-of-the-art infrastructure
Prices: Day pass (includes equipment rental): RMB 650. Damage deposit: RMB 1,000.
Season: Nov 30, 2012-Mar 30, 2013
Hours: 9am-4.30pm
Contact: (400 0987 666) www.china-cbs.com