Skiing at Beidahu Ski Resort, Jilin City

Beidahu Ski Resort, in Yongji County about 50 km from the centre of Jilin City in Jilin Province, northeast China, is one of the largest alpine ski areas in the country. The resort has a vertical drop of about 900 m and a network of pistes for beginners through to advanced skiers, with the longest runs reaching roughly 6 km. Both alpine skiing and snowboarding are offered, and the area is a long-standing venue for national and international winter sports events. No prior experience is required for the nursery and beginner slopes, where instructors teach first-timers, while the upper mountain suits skiers who are comfortable linking turns on steep, groomed and ungroomed terrain. Children are accepted on beginner terrain with supervision, and many visitors bring families for a first ski holiday. Equipment is largely available on site. Skis, snowboards, boots, poles and helmets can be rented at the base for about CNY 150-250 per day, while visitors are expected to bring or buy ski jackets, waterproof trousers, gloves, goggles, thermal layers and an ID card or passport for ticketing and rental deposits. Lift tickets typically cost about CNY 300-500 for a day and can be bought at the resort ticket offices or through platforms such as Trip.com and Meituan, which also list nearby hotels. Resort operations include a ski patrol, marked piste grades, rescue sleds and a first-aid post; skiers should follow the slope-closure flags and avoid off-piste areas outside the boundary ropes. Conditions in this part of Jilin are cold and dry, and temperatures can fall well below -20 C in midwinter, so frostbite protection matters on the lifts. The season usually runs from late November to mid March, with the most reliable snow cover in December through February. Weekends and the Chinese New Year holiday are the busiest periods, and queues at the main lifts can be long. Weekday visits and early starts give the quietest slopes. Natural snow is supplemented by snowmaking at the start of the season, so early-season runs may be limited to a few pistes.