China is seeing a large number of dry ski slopes opening as well as indoor snow centre as skiing and snowboarding continue to gain in popularity as the country moves towards its target of 300 million people engaged in snow or ice sports ahead of the 2022 Olympics.

These year-round ski centres address an issue China faces in that although it has the world’s largest population, most people live in the warmer, flatter parts of the country where snow and ice are not common, or totally unheard of.

The new Jianfeng Qifengxia Four Season Dry Ski Slope is the largest outdoor dry ski slope yet to open in northeast Sichuan, China.

The centre has been financed and built by Sichuan Zhaohua Ancient City Cultural Tourism Co., in Guangyuan City, which is more northerly, but still has an average annual temperature of around 10 degrees Celsius, and skiing is still a rare sport, thanks to a huge mountain range to the west that usually blocks the cold air arriving in winter.

The new ski slope which opened in January can accommodate 300 skiers at the same time. It covers an area of ​​24.7 acres, of which the ski slopes cover 10.5 acres (about 7000 square meters).  All slopes use the latest fourth-generation needle mushroom dry ski mat of JF Dryski.

There are three ski slopes, the longest 200 metres long and 20 metres wide with an average gradient on 15 degrees over a 36 metre vertical drop.

There are two shorter slopes, both 70 metres long with a 13.4 degree pitch, but one 10 metres and the other 20 metres wide. The whole complex has four carpet lifts providing uplift.