Winter wonderlands: snow parks and ski resorts close to Shanghai
As temperatures drop and winter approaches, it's time to plan for a skiing or snow trip. For those living in southern China, it's rare to have heavy snowfall and they formerly needed to travel to northern areas to enjoy the snow.
To ensure those residents could also experience skiing and fun with snow, just like those in the North, ski resorts and snow parks have opened and are gaining popularity, especially among among the young.
We listed seven ski resorts and snow parks that are located near the city for residents to have their own winter experience.
Taicang Alps Snow Live
Taicang Alps Snow Live is an indoor ski resort which newly opened in October.
It takes 30 minutes to take the high-speed train from Shanghai to Taicang South Railway Station and the resort is right opposite the station.
The resort consists of six experience areas: a ski resort, ice and snow park, Club Med resort, Alps Time, Alps Camp, and a light and shadow world, and entry covers food, drinks and entertainment.
Alps Snow Live has both warm and cold areas and the latter is divided into ski areas and snow entertainment areas. The ski area has five snow trails that simulate those of the Alps for people with different levels of skiing skills to choose from.
The Ice and Snow Park has nearly 20 kinds of snow entertainment projects, whose design combines the topography and humanistic architecture of the Alps, making it feel like traveling to Europe.
Admission: Skiing 488 yuan/3h (US$67.94), snow entertainment 318 yuan/3h
Opening hours: 12pm-9pm
Address: 7-10 Fuyoucheng Rd, Taicang City, Jiangsu Province
江苏省太仓市复游城路7-10号
Taihu Longemont Snow World
Taihu Longemont Snow World opened in October and its popularity has soared in just over a month.
It has an area of 78,000 square meters and is divided into two major sections: the ice area and the snow area, each selling tickets independently.
Now, when you buy a ski ticket, you will receive a free ticket to the snow town.
Longemont Snow World creates snow-capped mountains, forests, and Danish-style towns with a polar atmosphere.
The ski resort has 16 ski trails in total, including comprehensive ski trails, single and double board skill trails, and snow tubing trails.
The beginner and intermediate ski trails are 50 meters in width with a maximum length of more than 100 meters. There is also a 240-meter trail and a 20-degree slope snow tube trail with matching difficulty levels.
The snow area has ski trails of different levels and is equipped with 20 professional ski instructors, all of whom hold national skiing level-5 certificates. Whether you are a novice on the snow for the first time or a skilled professional skateboarder, you can experience the "speed and passion" in the snow area.
The Ice and Snow Town is an entertainment venue for children of all ages, with a constant temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius throughout the year. It is equipped with eight sets of large-scale parent-child amusement facilities.
The ice area also has an ice lake of 1,200 square meters with a stage in the middle, where various ice and snow performances are provided every day.
Admission: 380 yuan/3h
Opening hours: 9:30am-8:30pm (Sunday to Thursday), 9:30am-10:30pm (Friday and Saturday)
Address: Longemont Avenue, Changxing County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province 浙江省长兴县龙之梦大道
Wuxi Sunac Snow Park
There are six major theme areas in Wuxi Sunac Land, of which the Snow Park is only a part. Covering an area of 17,500 square meters, the park was the first large-scale indoor entertainment snow park in East China and is one of the best places to practice skiing.
The snow park is divided into a ski area and a snow entertainment area. There are two snow trails, one for beginners and one for intermediate level.
The snow entertainment area has a Nordic-Christmas-themed ice world, ice bumper cars, snow circle slides, and other projects, which are suitable for children to play.
Admission: Ski ticket: 240 yuan/3h on weekdays, 320 yuan/3h during peak hours
Snow entertainment ticket: 160 yuan/2h, 200 yuan/2h during peak hours
Opening hours: 12pm-8pm on Monday to Friday, 10am-9pm on Saturday and Sunday
Address: 2/F, Sunac Mall, No.66, Sunac Culture and Tourism City, Binhu District, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province 江苏省无锡市滨湖区融创文化旅游城66号融创茂2层
Shaoxing Qiaobo Ice and Snow World
Qiaobo Ice and Snow World is a well-established ski resort located in Shaoxing's Keyan Scenic Area, which opens all year round.
The skiing site covers an area of 30,000 square meters, which is equivalent to the size of four football courts. The two ski trails are 40 meters wide and every guest can have 15-minutes free teaching which allow them to decide if there's a need to hire a coach.
The resort uses advanced artificial snowmaking and refrigeration technology. The room temperature is maintained at about minus 3 degrees Celsius and the snow is more than half a meter thick. Compared with other outdoor ski resorts, the ski trails in Qiaobo Ice and Snow World are gentler and safer, making them suitable for beginners and children.
At the Ice and Snow Culture Exhibition Hall, where people can learn the origin of skiing, the history of modern skiing in the world, the history and honors of the Chinese Winter Olympics and the basic knowledge of skiing.
Admission: 228 yuan/4h (weekdays), 266 yuan/4h (weekends)
Opening hours: 10am-6pm
Address: 2168 Kenan Ave, Keqiao District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province 浙江省绍兴市柯桥区柯南大道2168号
Greentown Tiantaishan Snow Park
Greentown Tiantaishan Snow Park is located in real estate developer Greentown's Lotus Town on the top of Tiantai Mountain, a national 5A-level scenic spot. The snow park covers an area of about 25,400 square meters and is shaped like a lotus flower, resembling a blooming snow lotus on top of the clouds.
The venue has a cold area and a warm area. The cold area is mainly for skiing and snow entertainment, while the warm area is for other supporting facilities such as dining, accommodation, and shopping.
The ski resort has an international standard beginner ski trail and three snow loop trails, one of which are for high speed. Even if you don't know how to ski, you can still experience the thrill of snow drifting.
There is also a snow entertainment area specially set up for children in the park, where they can find ice and snow slides, ice sculptures, and some other projects.
Admission: 199 yuan/3h
Opening hours: 9am - 6pm
Address: No.2, Longhuangtang Village, Tiantai County, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province 浙江省台州市天台县龙皇堂村2号
Hangzhou Xuejixing Urban Ski Center
Xuejixing is the first indoor ski resort in Hangzhou and opened in April this year.
The ski resort is located in Linping District and can be reached in half an hour by car from downtown. It covers an area of 15,000 square meters and is divided into beginner trails, intermediate areas, and a snowboard park according to the slope.
It also creates some special scenes for people to take selfies, where the "China Antarctic Research Station" is connected to a glacier cave.
Inside the cave is a "Polar Storm Pavilion," where people can have an adventure while enjoying polar scenery with some "polar bears" outside and some cute "penguins" playing on the ice floes.
Admission: 228 yuan/3h
Opening hours: 10am-7pm
Address: 1/F, Gangbei Rd, Linping District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province浙江省杭州市临平区港北路杭辰星万里商场1楼
Wenzhou Qite Snow Park
Qite Snow Park is the first indoor ski resort in Wenzhou and the largest of its kind in southern Zhejiang Province.
The indoor venue is about 22,000 square meters, the snow slide is 150 meters long, and the drop height is at much as nearly 15 meters. Both novices and amateurs can experience the "fast and furious" of professional skiing.
The interior is Nordic-style, presenting realistic Arctic snow scenery and allowing you to immerse yourself in the charm of ice and snow.
In addition, there is a 500-square-meter snow entertainment area, with more than 20 entertainment projects such as snow bumper cars, snow tanks, rapid ice roads, and bicycles on ice.
You can also build snowmen, have snowball fights and take pictures. The entertainment experience can satisfy visitors of all ages.
Admission: 263 yuan/3.5h
Opening hours: 10am-9:30pm
Address: 589 Oujiang Rd, Lucheng District, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province 浙江省温州市鹿城区瓯江路589号
