As the peak winter tourist season approaches, Yabuli Ski Resort in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, is gearing up for its busiest time of the year. Many winter sports enthusiasts also flock to regions such as Xinjiang (northwest), Jilin (northeast) and Hebei (north).
According to a research report, the scale of China’s ice and snow industry reached 970 billion yuan in 2024, and this figure is expected to increase to 1,005.3 billion yuan in 2025. As essential element, ice and snow equipment is becoming a new engine for the continued growth of the industry.
MARKET WITH HIGH POTENTIAL
Thanks to the success of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, winter sports are gaining popularity across China, leading to increasing demand for equipment and devices.
At Beidahu Ski Resort in Jilin, the slopes are beginning to open to visitors. In front of a brand new gondola, staff are carrying out final adjustments to the two cable cars newly built this year.
Since 2021, the scale of the resort has continued to expand, with the number of open ski slopes increasing from 27 to 74, and that of cable cars from 7 to 13. Equipment manufactured by the Handling Research Institute of Beijing and Xuzhou Tianma Cableway Tramway Equipment Co., Ltd provide important support to the rapid development of Beidahu.
“Compared with international brands, domestic cable cars can be installed quickly and cheaply and offer more personalized services, which is very efficient and cost-effective for ski resorts,” notes Yan Shuai, Marketing Director of the Ski Resort of Beidahu.
Li Yao, founder of Beijing Snow Owl Technology Co., Ltd., a Chinese ski equipment company, is busy with his stores across the country. Since last winter season, Li Yao and his team have opened 12 stores in major ski resorts in China. Their sales reached ten million yuan in three years.
“At present, most of the world’s ski equipment production capacity is concentrated in China. And in the long term, the market share of domestic brands will show an upward trend,” Li said Yao.
Even in Shenzhen, a city in southern China, more and more indoor ski slopes and ice rinks are emerging and are very popular with the public.
Decathlon’s winter sports equipment sales have seen explosive growth over the past three years. Mi growth is expected to continue this year.”
According to Hao Lishun, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the industrial scale of ice and snow equipment manufacturing in China has developed rapidly in recent years. The country is currently able to supply 15 major categories of such equipment that meet the needs of individuals, commercial venues, competitions and mass sports.
The number of ice and snow equipment companies in the country has increased from around 300 in 2015 to some 900 in 2023, while their turnover has also seen strong growth, from less than 5 billion from yuan in 2015 to around 22 billion yuan in 2023.
OPTIMIZATION THROUGH INNOVATION
Innovation is one of the keys to the development of the ice and snow equipment industry. Today, new technologies, such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR), promote the research of new products, promoting the high-quality development of snow and ice equipment in China .
A VR ski simulator can create a real-life scene for people to experience an indoor skiing experience. The application of new materials, for example, carbon fiber skis, can promote the development of lighter and high-reinforcement products, in order to reduce the athlete’s physical energy consumption.
In Lianhuashan Ski Resort in Jilin, several robot dogs attract the attention of tourists. “Equipped with advanced sensors and imaging technologies, these robot dogs are able to participate in daily inspection, rescue and other tasks, timely detect security risks, provide first care and guide rescuers to the scene,” according to Su Zhongwei, marketing director of Lianhuashan.
In a company’s workshop in Liaoyuan, Jilin City, the automated ski boot production line newly operational this year is in full swing. Ski boots independently designed and developed by the company are popular with ski enthusiasts.
“We carry out research and development based on the foot shape and walking habits of Asians,” says Cao Guoqing, general manager of the company. According to him, the company is currently considering cooperation with ski resorts. Annual production of ski boots is expected to reach 300,000 pairs.
At Northeast Normal University, researchers in a winter sports lab are modeling the structure of an athlete’s feet. Thanks to 3D printing technology, athletes can very quickly receive a pair of ski insoles that match their feet.
“In recent years, based on data, the laboratory has developed personalized helmets, youth racing skis, personalized functional ski soles and other products,” said Liu Junyi, director of the laboratory, adding that for domestic ice and snow equipment, scientific and technological level is a key factor ensuring product competitiveness.
In early November, China issued guidelines to promote its ice and snow economy to a new growth point, aiming to reach an economic scale of 1.2 trillion yuan (about 169 billion dollars) by 2027.
According to Wu Bin, an expert in the winter sports industry, with the continuous stimulation of national policy, the production and research capacity of domestic ice and snow equipment and the reputation of Chinese brands will not improve. will only strengthen.
