Jilin enjoys snow business

Country's ski hub is investing heavily in promoting icy allure, both at home and abroad, Liu Mingtai and Zhou Huiying report in Changchun.

As the early winter temperatures drop across northeastern China, ski enthusiasts in Jilin province and elsewhere in the country are getting excited as ski lodges in the province begin to open their doors. Among them is Xu Guanghui.

The day the Miaoxiangshan Ski Resort in Changchun opened on Nov 18, the 60-year-old drew plenty of attention as he and his companion for the day — a 20-month-old baby girl — prepared to enjoy the slopes.

"I have waited eight months since the ski season finished in mid-March," he says. "I'm even happier that this winter I can bring my granddaughter here to enjoy the snow."