Winter journeys await at Guiyang Yunding Ski Resort

While northern China is draped in white winter snow, Guiyang – situated on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau – is igniting a "southern ski craze" by utilizing its unique geographical advantages.

Guiyang Yunding Ski Resort in Gaopo township, Huaxi district, not only fulfills locals' nearby skiing dreams, but also breaks seasonal barriers with a year-round dry ski slope and adjacent alpine flower fields, carving a path for four-season plateau tourism.

Guiyang Yunding Ski Resort attracts many ski enthusiasts. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

About an hour's drive from downtown Guiyang, the resort sits at an elevation of 1,560 meters. Its 280-meter beginner ski run spreads across the hillside like a white ribbon, where skiers glide down amid laughter and the soothing sound of skis on snow – a dynamic winter scene more typical of southern China.

To overcome the limitation of Guiyang's relatively short snow season, the resort has invested in a 150-meter all-season dry ski slope, complemented by five snow tubing lanes and a 3,600-square-meter snow play area. The beginner ski run can accommodate 1,200 skiers simultaneously, while the play area welcomes up to 200 visitors at once.

The resort's appeal isn't confined to winter. In 2020, the neighboring Yunding Flower Sea debuted and, after two years of expansion, now covers 360 mu (24 hectares) of floral landscape. Dominated by purpletop vervain, and accompanied by over 200 varieties such as rocket larkspur and hydrangeas, the summer bloom offers a striking contrast to the snowy winter slopes.

"Gaopo's natural environment is excellent," says Duan Chao, general manager of Guiyang Yunding Ski Resort. "By developing the summer flower sea alongside winter skiing, we now attract between 400,000 and 500,000 visitors annually. On New Year's Day alone, daily visits hit a record 1,500 guests. During the Spring Festival period, we'll expand our coaching team to 70–80 instructors and add hundreds of new ski equipment sets. Our goal is to build a comprehensive four-season destination.

Yunding Flower Sea features large fields of purpletop vervain. [Photo/Guiyang news network]