Currently, the Silk Road Mountain Resort in Urumqi County, Xinjiang, is blanketed in white, with crowded ski slopes where skiers clad in colorful gear speed down the mountains, kicking up clouds of snow.

The resort manager stated on the 24th that since the season opening on November 15 this year, visitor numbers have been continuously rising. Particularly from December 1st to 5th, when primary and secondary school students in Urumqi will enjoy their first official "snow vacation," a further increase in客流 is expected.

"This frozen land is turning into a 'gold and silver mountain' for the locals," Li Guiqin, Party Secretary of Pingxiliang Village in Shuixigou Town, Urumqi County, told a China News Service interview. The village leverages its unique ice and snow resources to develop winter tourism, forming business formats like ski resorts and homestay clusters, empowering rural revitalization.

Walking into this village nestled at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, rows of beautifully decorated characteristic homestays line the streets. Villager Zhang Chunwan was busy working in the courtyard of her family's homestay. "We converted our house into a homestay in 2023, and this year we added a small cabin offering coffee and other leisure services," she said. Combined with her husband's income as a ski instructor at the resort, the family's annual income has doubled compared to before opening the homestay.

Bazierbieke Adeli, who grew up in the village and is now in his 30s, also relies on the ice and snow economy for his livelihood. "I've been instructing at the Silk Road Mountain Resort ski area for 16 years, busy from mid-November to mid-March each year, and leading tour groups in the summer. Our family also runs a food shop specializing in Xinjiang特色美食 like pilaf and smoked horse meat," Bazierbieke said. The winter tourism boom has turned the villagers' "winter leisure" into "winter busyness."

"Now our village isn't short on jobs, it's short on people," Li Guiqin said. In recent years, by developing tourism, the village has not only provided higher incomes for residents but also attracted young entrepreneurs from elsewhere, introducing new ventures like coffee shops and small bars, further enhancing the village's appeal for tourists.

Xie Chengyu, a returnee from studying in Singapore in his early 20s, stood in front of his meticulously designed homestay and told the reporter: "I didn't expect business this new snow season to be so good. I came to the village as a tourist last August and decided to stay and start a business, becoming a 'new villager'."

"The current homestay has 7 guest rooms, accommodating up to 20 people. Next month, a new homestay will open, increasing capacity to 40 people," Xie said, pointing to the new homestay under construction next door. He added that he has not only found a career here but also made many new friends. The homestay management team includes both local villagers and young people from other parts of the country.

Currently, Pingxiliang Village has 60 homestays open to the public, with an annual capacity to host 400,000 tourists. Li Guiqin stated that the "cold resource" of ice and snow has become a "hot economy" driving rural revitalization, significantly increasing villagers' per capita income and sense of happiness.

Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Congxiao

Editor Ⅱ: Bao Gang

Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong