China's winter sports market is on a meteoric rise. According to the latest industry report, the scale of the country's ice-and-snow economy is expected to reach 970 billion yuan (133 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024 and surpass 1 trillion yuan in 2025.

　　Backed by government directives aiming to leverage winter sports as a catalyst for high-quality growth, the sector is forecast to expand to 1.2 trillion yuan by 2027, and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030.

　　As the winter unfolds, ice skaters and skiers are spreading well beyond traditional northern strongholds, bringing the speed and adrenaline of winter sports to nearly every corner of the country.

　　SNOW IS NO OBSTACLE

　　Wang, who can deftly navigate green runs, represents a growing cohort of ice-and-snow sports enthusiasts forging a new winter culture in southern China.

　　“People in the south have always been fascinated by snow, and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics truly ignited our passion for winter sports,“ she said, explaining why many southerners share her enthusiasm.

　　Beijing's hosting of the Winter Olympics, which spurred the engagement of over 300 million Chinese in winter sports, proved transformative. Gone are the days when only a niche northern community embraced such pursuits. Now, seniors and youngsters alike glide across ice rinks and swoosh down indoor slopes in places where real snowfall is seldom seen.

　　The proliferation of facilities has rendered winter sports, once an exotic and expensive pastime, more accessible than ever. Teenagers in warmer locations like Shanghai and Shenzhen now have regular training options for skating, ice hockey and other winter disciplines.