Enthusiasts hit the slopes at the Lake Songhua Resort on Dec 30. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

Jilin city in Northeast China's Jilin province plans to fully tap into its potential as a prime winter sports and tourist venue and ramp up the development of major ice and snow projects, according to local media reports.

The city is said to be blessed with an awesome array of winter facilities and resources and it has sought to expand its thriving ice and snow economy, as well as the entire related industrial chain involving winter tourism, sports, culture and equipment.

As a result, the city has become the official cooperative supply base for the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Games in February. 

Tourists have a ball, taking to the snow at the Lake Songhua Resort on Dec 30. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

In the 2020-2021 winter season, the city received 18 million visitors and generated 31 billion yuan ($4.88 billion) in tourism revenue.

Among the star performers were the leading Beidahu Ski Resort and the top Lake Songhua Resort which received a combined total of 1.08 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 35 percent – and they raked in total tourism revenue of 318 million yuan, a 16 percent gain.

In the 2021-22 season, the city has planned 11 ice and snow industry projects with a total investment of 48.74 billion yuan, of which five key ones involve outlays of more than 2 billion yuan each – including the Beidahu China-Sweden Ice and Snow Town Project, with a whopping investment of 30 billion yuan.

Ski boots are arranged neatly for use by tourists. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

The Lake Songhua Resort, located 15 kilometers away from downtown Jilin city, is a comprehensive complex that integrates mountain vacations, alpine skiing, events training, outdoor sports, restaurants and food outlets, as well as accommodation.

The resort, which has won the World Ski Award "China's Best Ski Resort" for four consecutive years, reportedly started its new ice and snow season in November with increasing numbers of enthusiastic skiers and snowboarders.

It has scheduled more than 30 events during the current season, including a music festival, a rime ice and snow festival, as well as a family skiing festival.

Skis stand in their lockers, ready to be rented out. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]