LANZHOU, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- After a 30-minute drive with his parents, 13-year-old Guo Chenhao arrived at the Baiyin National Snow Sports Training Base in Jingtai County, northwest China's Gansu province, ready for his second straight week of snowboarding lessons during the winter vacation.
Built in late 2019, the national training base includes a skier service center with more than 100 rooms, a 75,000-square-meter ski resort, an indoor training hall and a biathlon course. China's Para Nordic skiing national teams trained here ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics.
A seventh grader from Baiyin, Guo is among a growing number of young students in northwest China embracing winter sports as a dynamic way to spend their school break.
"I feel completely free when I glide down the slopes," said Guo, adding that his parents have always encouraged him to try winter sports such as snowboarding and skiing.
While some teenagers pursue winter sports out of personal interest, others are discovering them through organized school activities. Across Baiyin, local authorities are promoting winter sports programs during the holidays.
Since this winter, the Education Bureau of Jingtai County has coordinated skiing trips for teachers and students to the Baiyin base, giving them hands-on experience in skiing and snowboarding under professional guidance.
After joining one such school trip, Yang Yongcheng, a student at Jingtai County No. 8 Primary School, returned to the resort during his vacation to practice on his own.
"I learned how to ski during our school's educational excursion last month," said Yang, adding that he felt more confident and more skilled on his second visit.
According to figures from the Jingtai County Education Bureau, more than 4,500 students from 11 primary and middle schools have taken part in about 20 days of winter sports outings since December.
Li Bing, an associate professor at the College of Tourism of Lanzhou University of Arts and Science, said the integration of sports, education and tourism has boosted public enthusiasm for winter activities in Gansu, especially since the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
"Schools in Gansu have been encouraging both students and their parents to take part in winter sports," Li said, adding that the rise in participation is also driving local economic growth.
According to the Report on the Development of China's Ice and Snow Economy (2025), released by the General Administration of Sport of China in late 2025, China received 430 million winter leisure tourists during the 2023-24 season.
Winter routines among young people in northwest China are changing quickly. In neighboring Qinghai province, a youth winter sports camp opened this month, bringing together teams from 20 local schools to train under professional coaches.
Further west, Urumqi and the Altay region in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region introduced a nine-day snow vacation in December to encourage students to take part in winter sports.
"These educational excursions not only boost the sports and tourism industries, but also promote children's physical health," Li said. ■
