People are surprised when they hear I can ski in China. However, Sichuan (the province I live in) is home to several ski resorts close to Chengdu. This is just one of the reasons life in Chengdu is good!
Although the resorts are small compared with their European counterparts – it’s still a great place for a day or weekend skiing. There are three main ski resorts near Chengdu that you can visit.
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Xiling Snow Mountain
The ski resort:
Xiling snow mountain is more of an amusement park than a ski resort. There is a hot air balloon, snow mobiles, and donut slides you can enjoy. The ski resort has a beginner slope, an intermediate slope and two more advanced slopes with chairlifts (by advanced I mean easy/medium by European standards). Most people here are beginners and so the advanced slopes are quiet.
The equipment is not so good and is around 10 years old. There are only a few helmets available. Most people were skiing in normal clothes with no helmet!
Get ready for your ski trip!
Pick up some ski socks now. Keep your feet comfy and warm while enjoying the slopes.
Accommodation
| Accommodation | Location | Why stay here? |
|---|---|---|
| Maple Leaf Inn | Top of the mountain | One of five hotels at the top. Wake up and go skiing! |
| Mountain Resort Hotel | Bottom of the mountain | Next to the cable car, cheaper price than staying at the top of the mountain. |
| Xueyuan Hotel | Nearest town | Cheapest price – but you will get less ski time due to transferring to the resort. |
Cost
A day of skiing costs 500 RMB, £57/$72, including lift pass and ski hire. At the bottom of the mountain, you must take a cable car and bus to the resort (120 RMB/$17/£14).
From here, there is an optional cable car which will take you to the top of the mountain to view the cloud sea on a clear day (80 RMB/£9/$11). I definitely recommend it if it’s a clear day.
How to get there
You can only travel by road – no trains.
The local buses from Chengdu take 4 hours. These arrive around 11AM and the last bus leaves at 4PM.
Alternatively, you can hire a driver – 650 RMB (£64/$94) per day per car (a hotel/tour guide can arrange this). The need for a cable car means queues can be large at the end of the day.
Taiziling Skiing resort
The ski resort
Taizilng is the best ski resort in Sichuan – recommended by both locals and foreigners. It has two beginner, two intermediate and two ‘advanced’ slopes with one chairlift. It is still small – a day or two here is enough.
Accommodation
| Accommodation | Location | Why stay here? |
|---|---|---|
| Taiziling Resort Hotel | On the slopes | Have early/late access to the slopes, only option to stay if using public transport to get here. |
| Jiudingshan Tianchun Hotel | Road leading to the resort | Cheaper option, very close drive-time to the resort. |
| Xinyue Hotel | Maoxian (closest town) | Other tourist attractions located here. Best for people who don’t just want to ski. |
Keep the sun out of your eyes!
Get the perfect ski goggles. Keep your focus on the slopes – no sun or snow in your eyes.
Cost
Entrance to the resort costs 70 RMB ($10/£8). A day skiing then costs 370 RMB ($53/£42), including lift access and equipment hire. A helmet (20 RMB/$3/£2) is a requirement to use the chairlift here.
How to get there
You only get here by road. There is a bus that runs to the resort from Chengdu.
If you want more flexibility, consider hiring a driver (650RMB/$94/£74 per day).
Mount Emei Skiing Resort
The ski resort
The main focus of this area is the mountain itself with temples and monkeys, the ski resort is an afterthought. Suitable if you’re a beginner but otherwise avoid at all costs!
Accommodation
| Accommodation | Location | Why stay here? |
|---|---|---|
| Teddy Bear Hostel | Bottom of the mountain | Hot springs here. Great budget option. Easy to access to the mountain. |
| Le Meridien | Bottom of the mountain | Hot springs here. Great luxury option. Easy access to the mountain. |
| Jinding Hotel | Leidongping | Next to the ski resort. Avoid the 2 hour bus journey up the mountain in the morning. |
Get yourself the perfect backpack!
The Osprey Daylite Plus is a versatile daypack. It’s got room for everything and has some great hiking features.
Cost
It costs 110 RMB (£13/$16) to enter the mountain area. Skiing is 50 RMB (£6/$7) per hour including all equipment and lift passes.
How to get there
Mount Emei is the easiest to access via public transport. First take a train (1 hour 30 minutes) to Emeishan (Book on trip.com). From here, take the local tourist bus from outside the station (1 hour 30) or taxi (30 minutes) to the bottom of the mountain. Lastly, a bus to Leidongping Parking Lot on the mountain (2 hours). The ski resort is located here. The cable car to the top of the mountain leaves from here if you get bored of skiing!
Want to capture every moment?
Buy a GoPro now! Usable for every occasion from skiing to scuba diving. Get perfect photo and video footage.
5 Tips for skiing in China
- There are no ‘rules of the road’ here: whereas in Europe/America, the skiers that are overtaking will always avoid the skier in front. Watch your back! We saw multiple crashes while we were skiing.
- Snowboarding is huge in China… If you’re a skier you will likely be outnumbered.
- The clothing/helmet hire is pretty shoddy – If you have the time/money head to decathlon – best option for western size ski clothing and goggles
- Food –a hot dog sausage and a pot noodle will be your food options. I recommend bringing your own food with you especially if you’re a fussy eater. Nothing like normal food in Chengdu.
- Don’t be put off by the staff telling you that a run is too steep or dangerous – if you’ve skied on an easy/medium run in Europe/America you’ll be able to handle the ‘advanced’ slopes out here.
- You can just pay with your phone if you download Wechat or Whatsapp – just some of the useful apps for China.
I hope this guide has proved helpful to you and you have a great time skiing near Chengdu! Also note to self…. these ski resorts are at very high altitude so pack lots of sun cream…. I was a big red tomato after skiing in Taiziling!
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