The first time I donned the bulky quilted skiing suit, put on the huge snow boots, carried the heavy skis on my shoulder and stumbled towards the entrance to the snow run, I didn't feel like skiing was worth the fuss.

I wished I was ice skating or having a snowball fight instead.

Skiing was not popular in Beijing for very long, partly because the nearest skiing resort was at least a four-hour drive away until two years ago.

But this year, six skiing resorts have opened in a Beijing suburb. The one I visited, called Snow World Ski Park, is just beside the famous Ming Tombs - only a 30-minute drive from downtown Beijing.

The sky was clear blue. The snow glistened in the bright sunshine. And I could hear the joyful voice of children.

In the distance, a boy was smoothly gliding down from the top, speedy as an arrow. But a girl was struggling to get up with the help of a coach.

Another coach sensed my nervousness when he skillfully helped me fasten my boots into my skis. He smiled and told me the high-upper boots will protect me when sliding.

Then, I slightly bent my knees, leaned forward and pushed on my poles - I was moving!

The snow run was made specially for beginners like me. It is a gentle slope 380 metres long and 60 metres wide.

The other one on the left was longer and steeper, geared towards those veterans who can descend like a missile while making perfect, controlled turns.

I prayed I wouldn't tumble all the way down the bunny hill.

I pushed off, but suddenly a girl in front of me fell down, and I was sure I would run her over if she didn't move out of the way.

I didn't know how to stop, so I just fell down near her so that neither of us got hurt.

It was not a bad try for a beginner. "Skiing is not that hard!" I thought quietly. "I should go to the top!"

But once there, I regretted it immediately. I was the only girl.

Peering down to the end of the run, I could not imagine how to balance myself on such a long and steep and speedy path. I felt my hands getting sweaty.

But after watching 10 "brave" men sliding down and only three of them falling, I made my mind to push on my poles and go.

"One, two, three!" I murmured, held a deep breath and rushed out.

I abandoned my body to the pull of gravity and pushed the centre of my body forward on the boots.

My heart raced as I picked up speed. My face ached in the icy wind, but the joy of flying through the snow for the first time made it worthwhile. I was flying!

I fell again, but that didn't stop me from 16 more tries at the top.

The feeling of soaring was fantastic, even if the runs ended with me falling.

I also tried tube sliding and riding a snowmobile, but skiing was the best even if it made my body sore later. I was determined to return and learn to become better at the sport.

Snow World Park, which occupies 500,000 square metres, is still in its test run period and will formally open just before New Year's Day.

It will also offer dog sledding, horse-drawn snow sleighs, snow boarding and snowman-making.

It can accommodate about 1,800 people at a time.

"More than 1,000 people come here each weekend," said Lilian Li, the main investor and board chairman of the park who has lived in California for 15 years. "Skiing is becoming more popular in China. And this winter, Beijingers can have more funs here."

If you want to have a try, you can go to the website of www.xueshijie.com for more information.

( China Daily December 29, 2001)