China News Service, Guangzhou, February 12th: The "ice and snow fever" continues to heat up, and "going north" for skiing has become a new leisure choice for Hong Kong and Macao residents.
China News Service reporter Cai Minjie
In the room with a temperature of minus 6 degrees Celsius, tourists ride the suspended zipline across the snow, or ride on snowboards on the snow track... February 12th is the third day of the Lunar New Year, located in Huadu, Guangzhou An indoor ski resort welcomed more than 1,000 tourists from 34 Hong Kong tour groups to experience ice and snow sports. The novel and unique indoor ski scene, convenient transportation and one-stop vacation experience have become a new choice for tourists from Hong Kong and Macao to travel for short distances.
More than a thousand Hong Kong tourists came to Guangzhou to experience ice and snow sports. Photo by Cai Minjie
For Hong Kong and Macao residents who rarely see snow, the beautiful scenery of thousands of miles of snow is fascinating. "We rarely come into contact with snow. You can experience many activities here. I just finished a snowball fight with my family and I was very happy." Wang Xinyi's family of six went to Guangzhou to play in the snow with a tour group from Hong Kong. Her relative Wang Xinghui expressed the New Year atmosphere in Guangzhou Rich, "I had a great experience celebrating the New Year in Guangzhou this year, and I look forward to visiting more inland areas such as Beijing and Zhangjiajie, Hunan in the future."
Since the opening of this ski resort in Guangzhou, the cost of skiing for people in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has been reduced, bringing more choices to ski enthusiasts in Hong Kong and Macao.
Lei Luoyao, a 19-year-old from Hong Kong, went to Guangzhou with her parents to experience ice and snow sports. She had made a guide online a few days ago and this time she wanted to experience ice bumper cars and other snow entertainment projects. "Playing in the snow in Guangzhou is cost-effective. You can experience skiing without taking a plane. After returning to Hong Kong, I will introduce more students to come and play." Lei Luoyao said that in the past two years, many of her friends will go to Shenzhen and Guangzhou on the weekends. Visit the surrounding areas and relax while shopping and eating.
Tourists are experiencing snow entertainment projects. Photo by Cai Minjie
Lei Luoyao’s mother, Ms. Huang, said that their family arrived in Guangdong by bus with a tour group on the first day of the new year. “We went to entertainment projects in Qingyuan and Guangzhou. The tour fee was about more than 1,400 Hong Kong dollars per person, and the food and accommodation conditions were They are all very good, and I am willing to go to the mainland to celebrate the New Year in the future."
Wang, who is studying in Form 4 in Hong Kong (i.e., Grade 1 in high school in Mainland China), drove to Guangzhou with his mother. The coach was there to guide him as he tried snowboarding for the first time. "My Hong Kong classmates go to the north to ski, but I think the ski resort in Guangzhou is also very fun and the experience is good," he said.
On the indoor ski track, skiers rushed down like arrows, splashing white snowflakes when making sudden stops and turns, performing scenes of "snow drifting"... Early that morning, Yu Xuexin from Hong Kong He went to the ski resort to experience medium-to-high-difficulty ski trails when there were fewer people. Wearing professional equipment, he had been skiing in many countries before, but it was in Guangzhou that he systematically learned skiing skills. “First of all, the indoor ski resorts have different settings. The track is relatively 'friendly' to novices; secondly, it is very convenient to get from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, I come here several times a year, the last time I came here was in December last year."
"In fact, Hong Kong people are very keen on skiing. On the one hand, they can experience a completely different climate and landscape, and on the other hand, they like the tension and excitement brought by this high-speed sport." Yu Xuexin said that this time she and more than a dozen friends took advantage of the Spring Festival I specially went to Guangzhou to experience it during the holidays. "In the past two years, many Hong Kong people have come to Guangzhou to experience skiing. Everyone is discussing how to improve their skiing skills. After training in Guangzhou, they can choose to go skiing overseas."
"During public holidays such as the Spring Festival, the increase in visits from Hong Kong and Macao is particularly obvious." Wei Jianyu, marketing director of a ski resort in Guangzhou, said that since it opened in June 2019, 60% of tourists are from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, followed by Hunan and Hubei , Jiangxi and other neighboring provinces of Guangdong. As of 2023, the ski resort will receive more than 3 million tourists. With the implementation of policies such as "Australian cars going north" and "Hong Kong cars going north", more and more tourists from Hong Kong and Macao come to Guangzhou to experience skiing. It is expected that passenger flow during the Spring Festival in 2024 will increase by about 30% year-on-year. (over)