Snow activities emerge as new summer choice

The popularity of off-season snow activities has grown significantly as a summer leisure option for residents looking to to cool off this year, according to Chinese-language media reports.

Data from the country’s leading e-commerce platforms have shown double-digit growth figures in such activities, indicating a surge in interest.

Statistics from Meituan show that the number of orders for ice and snow amusement parks and indoor ice-skating rinks across Shenzhen jumped 160% in July compared with the same period last year, while Dazhong Dianping reported a month-on-month increase of 62% in searches for “Shenzhen indoor skiing venues” in June.

"We often received 3,000 visitors in a single day in July, when our business revenue doubled," said the person in charge of the Alps Ice and Snow World (Alps World) at the Window of the World theme park in Nanshan District.

Opened in 2020, the Alps World is one of the first venues in Shenzhen to offer ice and snow activities for recreation. It has also attracted people from other cities in Guangdong seeking winter-themed entertainment.

"The Alps World especially appeals to my daughter with its giant snowman and the ultra-long ice slide," said one visitor, Liu You, from Guangzhou, who visited the venue with her daughter in July. 

Dazhong Dianping data indicate that searches for the Alps World and Karoo Ice and Snow World in Longhua District surged 87% and 95.5%, respectively, in July from a month ago.

Karoo, which opened in March 2023 at the Mission Hills Sports and Eco Park, has become one of the popular tourist destinations in Longhua this  summer, offering various ice and snow activities.

"What makes Karoo stand out from other winter-themed amusement parks is that it has snowflakes," said a resident surnamed Li, who was born and raised in Guangdong. "I love having snowball fights with my friends. It’s the ultimate winter fun for me."

The allure of snow activities has also extended to residents in Hong Kong and Macao, with people from the two regions crossing the border to Shenzhen and other Guangdong cities like Guangzhou to escape the summer heat and enjoy winter-themed entertainment.