Home » Chongli, the “Winter Olympics” change in a small northern city

Chongli, the “Winter Olympics” change in a small northern city

by admin

(Beijing Winter Olympics) Chongli, the “Winter Olympics” change in a small northern city

China News Service, Zhangjiakou, October 31st, title: Chongli, a small northern city’s “Winter Olympics” changes

China News Agency reporter Chen Lin

Six years ago, Beijing, which “won the Olympic bid again”, joined Zhangjiakou to the world‘s forefront. As one of the main venues for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics snow projects, the small city of Chongli, which is hidden between the Yinshan Mountains and the “deep boudoirs” of the Yanshan Mountains, has subsequently attracted international attention.

Chongli District, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, named “Advocating Etiquette”, was once one of the impoverished areas in China. It is located in the transition zone between the Inner Mongolia Plateau and the North China Plain, and the air quality has remained the best in the province for many years. In the eyes of 35-year-old ski instructor Ting Ting, the resource advantage of “early snowfall, thick snow cover, and snow storage period of up to 150 days” has been a bit “annoying” in the past.

“It snowed every three to five in winter, and the door was too big to get out, and sometimes the adobe house was collapsed.” He recalled that there was a big snow and Grandpa swept for four hours. The childhood fun of snowmen and ski bikes also left him unforgettable memories.

Like most locals in Chongli, Ting Ting’s ancestors have been farming for a living, “the income is not high.” My father works in a nearby mine, and his salary can supplement some of his household. In 2004, Ting Ting, who graduated from technical secondary school, returned to his hometown after a short period of work in Beijing. At that time, Chongli had begun to develop the ice and snow industry, and he went to work as a security guard at a local ski resort.

See also  U.S. hype "diplomatic boycott" of the Beijing Winter Olympics

A bet between friends gave Tse Ting his first skiing experience and fell in love with the sport. Through learning, he became a ski instructor, which means that he can have a higher income.

Ting Tse still remembered six years ago when he and his colleagues cheered and celebrated Beijing’s successful bid for the Winter Olympics with Zhangjiakou.

Ting Tse said that preparing for the Winter Olympics has changed the destiny of many people. At present, the locals account for about 40% of the ski instructors in Chongli.

With the increasing popularity of Chongli overseas, more and more foreign tourists come here for skiing. In 2019, among 52 tourist destinations worth visiting by the New York Times, the small town of Chongli was on the list. This year, Tse Ting opened a ski club, and the number of foreigners who learned to ski with him increased. With an income of several hundred thousand yuan a year, “it was hard to think of it in the past.”

Ting Tse, who “has a soft spot for snow now”, has obtained relevant certificates for ski instructors from China, the United States, Japan and other countries, and will also have the opportunity to judge the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at his home. With the Winter Olympics approaching, he hopes that the new crown pneumonia epidemic will pass soon, and hope that more people in the world will like the “Snow Capital” Chongli in his eyes.

Speaking of going to Beijing, Zhao Chunxin, a 55-year-old security guard in the ice and snow town of Prince Chongli, was full of emotion. In the early 1990s, when he went to work in Beijing, he had to walk a whole day or longer. He rode a horse or walked to the county seat, and then took a train to Zhangjiakou city by car. Now, with the opening of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail, it only takes about one hour to get from his place of work to Beijing by high-speed rail.

See also  Epidemic Information-Shenzhen Health Commission Website

From the “Snow Ruyi” (National Ski Jumping Center), which is lying in the mountains and stunning the world, to the giant snowflake shape in the main city square; from the “snowflake”-shaped roof to the signboard of the ski tool store…Walking in Chongli, blending in ” Together with the falling snowflakes, the design of “snow” elements is becoming a new “logo” for local tourism.

Speaking of the changes in Chongli in the past six years, Zhao Chunxin, a native, sometimes even feels dizzy: his wife who works in a ski resort has learned a foreign language and can communicate with foreign tourists on a daily basis. Many people here are engaged in work related to ice and snow, and their lives are becoming more and more prosperous. “It used to be enough to eat and wear warmth, but now it’s time to wear brand-name clothes.”

At this time in Chongli, the ice and snow industry is becoming the local pillar industry, and tourism has changed from “one season tour” to “four seasons.” In the process of preparing for the Winter Olympics, the local people have a more “sense of gain”.

It is worth noting that in 2019, the Hebei Provincial Government officially approved the withdrawal of Chongli District from the poverty-stricken county sequence.

Data show that as of the end of 2019, 1 out of 5 people in Chongli District is engaged in ice and snow related work, and more than 30,000 people are directly or indirectly engaged in the ice and snow industry and tourism services.

In a hundred days, Chongli will once again usher in the attention of the world in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. The media’s name for this small city has become “Snow Country.” (over)

See also  The Gef cartoon: solidarity with the Oristanese, there is also Canalis

Article source: China News Service
Editor in charge: Qiu Mengying

.

You may also like

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More

Privacy & Cookies Policy