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Success in recent Winter Olympic Games, notably nine medals by Team China this year in Sochi, may have triggered a blizzard of enthusiasm for snow sports.
In fact, it may be a snowballing effect that began when many Chinese began taking up skiing after the 1996 Asian Winter Games held in Harbin, northeast China's Heilong-jiang province. Before that, only professional athletes showed interest in the sport.
At the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, Chinese athlete Yang Yang won in women's 500m short track speed skating, bringing China its first Winter Olympics gold medal.
In Sochi this year, China sent athletes to compete in five snow sports: biathlon, alpine and cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing and snowboarding.
Perhaps more important, in November of last year, Chongli county, one of China's main snow sports venues roughly 220km northwest of Beijing, made a joint bid with Beijing's Yan Qing county to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
In a parallel development, China's the ski industry has developed greatly in recent years and the capital is at the center of it.
According to beijingski.com, there are now 12 well-equipped ski resorts around Beijing, providing services at an average price of 150 yuan ($25), including tickets, equipment rental and facility fees for the whole day.
With prices going down, skiing has become a new craze for young people who want to be active and socialize throughout the winter.
In turn, ski resorts and snow gear manufactures from Western countries have been eager to invest in this emerging market.
Story: Liu Zheng
Animation: Liu Zheng
Voiceover: He Yini and Liu Zheng
Producer: Zhao Tingting
Executive producer: Han Lei and Charles McDermid
