More than 1 million people enjoy skiing and more than 1 billion yuan (US$120 million) is spent on the sport every year. Just a decade ago, it was estimated that only 200 people in China had ever skied, according to the latest statistics released by the State Sport General Administration.

"Winter sports," which include skiing and other ice and snow activities, first became a hit in 1996 when the Third Asian Winter Games were held in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

That sparked the public's initial interest, but only in the last two to three years has it really taken off, particularly among the 20 and 30-somethings of the cities.

With such an explosion of interest, ski slopes and resorts have swiftly developed across the country to meet the demand. A total of 150 skiing resorts have opened across the country, not including the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Among them, the ski resorts in the provinces of Northeast China stand out as the top choice of advanced skiers, thanks to their favourable geography and climate.

"Another 30 skiing resorts are on the way," said Tian Youwei, secretary of the China Skiing Association. A number of places rich in snow and further south, like Shanghai, Chongqing municipalities and Hubei Province, are planning to establish ski resorts of their own, Tian was quoted as saying by China Consumer Journal.

The nation's biggest indoor skiing centre, which has proved immensely popular, was completed in Shanghai in August.

"People are willing to pay hundreds of yuan to have a first try at skiing in Shanghai. The key thing is, however, to cultivate sustainable consumer capacity," said a senior official at a Shanghai travel agency.

More and more Beijingers are going in for skiing as their disposable income grows. A very social activity, it can help to shake off winter blues, be enjoyed by many age groups and is a good way to exercise.

A survey suggests that 20 percent of skiers in China are expats working or studying in the country, the rest are native white collar workers with high incomes. More than 75 percent of skiers are between 15 and 35 years of age.

Though the number of China's sporty population -- those who do two hours or more of exercise a day -- reached 300 million, the per capita level of sport consumption is quite low.

A survey conducted in China's five major cities showed that half of the residents spent less than 300 yuan (US$36) on sport every year, which is just 5 percent of that spent by those in the United States.

(China Daily December 23, 2002)