by sportswriters Duan Xu, Li Dian and Yao Shi
CHANGCHUN, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ski resorts in northeast China's Jilin Province, long known for their winter snow sports, are increasingly attracting trail runners, mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts in summer, as operators transform ski slopes into year-round adventure destinations.
In the forests and mountains of the region, where summer temperatures hover around 22 degrees Celsius, runners in lightweight gear tackle rugged trails while mountain bikers race downhill from summit to base. As snow gives way to off-road tracks and cycling routes, ski resorts are evolving into all-season centers for extreme sports.
Among those drawn to the trend is 24-year-old Yue Mingyang from central China's Hunan Province, who plans to compete in a 100-kilometer trail race in Jilin City, Jilin Province. Although he has been trail running for five years, he has never competed at a ski resort.
"Running through forests is exhilarating," Yue said. "The fresh air and the constantly changing terrain make every race unique. Trail running has become increasingly popular among young people, and competing at a ski resort will be a completely new experience."
Yue is preparing for the Kailas Fuga Lake Songhua Northeast 100 Mountain Running Race. Organizers expect 20,000 runners to compete in 2026, compared with just 1,000 in 2023. Last year, runners from outside Jilin Province accounted for 74 percent of all participants.
China's trail-running community has traditionally been concentrated in the south, where dramatic landscapes and established event operations have supported rapid growth, but northeast China is catching up.
Lake Songhua Resort, a leading ski destination, welcomed more than one million visitors in the 2025-26 winter season. In summer, its powder-snow slopes are converted into trail courses, with about 80 percent of routes unpaved. Gravel climbs, narrow ridgelines, muddy black soil sections, stream crossings, steep ascents and Alpine meadows offer a wide range of technical challenges.
Mountain biking is also gaining momentum. Several resorts have built asphalt pump tracks, jump lines and freestyle training zones equipped with airbags and obstacle features. Some have developed downhill routes up to five kilometers, allowing spectators on chairlifts to watch cyclists descend from summit to valley.
"Downhill cycling has grown steadily in China over the past three or four years," said Cola, head of the One-Nine Cycling Club in Jilin City. "As cycling disciplines such as BMX gain greater visibility through the Olympics, more young people are becoming interested in the sport."
His club organizes regular weekend and holiday events at mountain-bike parks within ski resorts, with participants ranging from children as young as six to adults in their 40s and 50s.
Ski resorts including Tianding Mountain Ski Resort in Changchun have hosted the DS Youth Nature Challenge, a domestic outdoor series for children aged to 14 that promotes fitness, perseverance and teamwork.
Organizers design multi-kilometer obstacle courses featuring climbing structures, mud crossings and wall challenges to build resilience and confidence.
"My daughter enjoys sports, and these challenge events are both fun and increasingly popular," said Zhang Mei, a resident of Changchun who enrolled her third-grade daughter in a youth cross-country challenge. She hopes the experience will help her child become more resilient and gain confidence by overcoming physical and environmental challenges.
Northeastern provinces such as Jilin possess abundant powder-snow resources and a strong winter sport foundation thanks to their favorable latitude and climate. But resorts have long faced the challenge of sustaining business in the off-season.
To address this, operators are expanding offerings to create four-season tourism models combining skiing in winter, hiking in spring, cycling in summer and trail running in autumn.
Beyond competitive sports, resorts have added mountain carts, UTV tours, grass-skiing tracks, slides, and campgrounds with barbecue facilities, alongside outdoor cultural festivals. The growing demand has made weekend camping reservations increasingly difficult to secure.
"Transforming ski resorts into summer sports hubs revitalizes mountain resources and bridges the off-season gap," said Ma Benlong, a physical education professor at Northeast Normal University. "It breaks the ice industry's seasonal limits and drives business upgrades, visitor growth, and regional tourism synergy." Enditem
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