As night falls in Tekes county in Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Jiugongcheng Park transforms into a fantastic ice and snow world, with its traditional folk street, parade of decorated floats and boutique guesthouses attracting numerous visitors. With winter sports gaining momentum across China, Xinjiang is leveraging its prolonged winter, high-quality snow and diverse terrains to establish top-notch ski resorts.

Two major ice and snow tourism belts have emerged along the Tianshan and Altay mountain ranges, and Xinjiang currently boasts 188 ice and snow venues, including 101 ski resorts.

Visitors enjoy swimming at the Silk Road Mountain Resort on Dec 19. WANG JING/CHINA DAILY

Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen

Editor Ⅱ: Wu Dan

Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong