*TheurbanareasinChongqingrarelysnow,however,thepassionforskiingamongitsresidentsispalpable,resonatingevenwiththosehailingfromthesnowynortheastofChina.*Morethan4.88millionpeopleparticipatedinwintersportsinChongqingfrom2018totheendof2022.*ThemountainousareaofChongqingspansapproximately62,100squarekilometers,accountingfor75percentofthecity'stotallandarea.Additionally,22countiesanddistrictswithinthecityhavemountainsexceeding1,200metersinelevation,offeringabundanticeandsnowtourismresources.CHONGQING,Feb.22(Xinhua)--InthesnowlessurbanlandscapeofsouthwestChina'sChongqingMunicipality,asurprisingfervorforwintersportshastakenhold,transformingthis"furnacecity"knownforitsscorchingsummersintoahubforiceandsnowtourism.WINTERSPORTSCRAZEItistruethattheurbanareasinChongqingrarelysnow,however,thepassionforskiingamongitsresidentsispalpable,resonatingevenwiththosehailingfromthesnowynortheastofChina.AnaerialdronephototakenonJan.24,2024showsaviewofJinfoMountainskiresortinNanchuanDistrict,southwestChina'sChongqingMunicipality.(Xinhua/ChuJiayin)"Ifeelpeople'spassionforsnowandskiinghereinChongqing,"saidMaFuqiang,askiinstructoratJinfoMountainskiresortandanativeofHeilongjiang,anortheastChinaprovincethatboastsrichiceandsnowresources."Mosttouristsattheskiresortherearebeginners.Theygetveryexcitedwhentheyseesnow,drivingahighdemandforskiinstructors,"Maadded.IntheJinfoMountainskiresortalone,therearemorethan140skiinstructors,mostofwhomcomefromnortheasternChina.Theyusuallyworkherefrommid-NovembertoearlyMarchnextyear.Theysaidtheyprovideservicesforasteadystreamofcustomers.Whileonweekendsorholidays,theresortevenexperiencesashortageofskiinstructors.In2023,morethan15,000primaryandsecondaryschoolstudentsvisitedthispopularskiingspot,accordingtoWangJunbo,whoisinchargeoftheskiresort.Statisticsshowedthatmorethan4.88millionpeopleparticipatedinwintersportsinChongqingfrom2018totheendof2022.DatafromChina'sleadingonlineplatformsMeituanandDianpingappsshowed,inDecember2023,onlinesearchesfor"skiing"inChongqingsurgedbyover250percentcomparedtothepreviousmonth,whilebookingsforskiingvenuesinthecityincreasedbyover120percentcomparedtothesameperiodlastyear.TouristshavefunatNantianLakescenicareainFengduCounty,southwestChina'sChongqingMunicipality,Jan.25,2024.(Xinhua/ChuJiayin)Tobolsterthedevelopmentofwintersportsandmeetthedemandsoftheiceandsnowenthusiasts,Chongqinghasestablished23wintersportsvenues.Apartfromthewinter,peoplecanalsoaccessdiversewintersportsandactivitiesthroughouttheyear.ICE-SNOWTOURISMBOOMMountainousChongqingisrenownedforitsuniquehotpotculture.Formanywintersportsenthusiasts,enjoyingthebubblinghotpotafterexercisingintheiceandsnowisanidealchoice.WenJingtong,atouristvisitingChongqing'sNantianLakescenicareainFengduCounty,feastedtheculinarydelightsinthesnowfieldwithherfriends."Itwasamarvelousanduniqueexperience."TouristsenjoysnowfieldhotpotatNantianLakescenicareainFengduCounty,southwestChina'sChongqingMunicipality,Jan.25,2024.(Xinhua/ChuJiayin)NantianLakescenicareahasrolledoutaseriesoficeandsnowtourismactivitiesthiswinter,drawingnearly250,000touristsandgeneratingrevenueexceeding71millionyuan(about10millionU.S.dollars),up132.9percentand60.22percentyearonyear,respectively.Infact,the"furnacecity"hasorganizedmorethan200culturalandtourismactivitiesthiswinter,manyofwhichincludeiceandsnowrelatedactivities,continuinguntiltheendofFebruary.AchildskisatLengshuiinternationalskiresortinShizhuTujiaAutonomousCounty,southwestChina'sChongqingMunicipality,Jan.26,2024.(Xinhua/ChuJiayin)LuoZibai,anexpertwiththeChinaTourismAcademy,believesthatChongqinghasitsuniquepotentialtodevelopiceandsnowtourism.Thecity'sabundantmountainresourcesofferadistinctivewinterlandscapeunlikethatofnorthernChina.StatisticsshowedthatthemountainousareaofChongqingspansapproximately62,100squarekilometers,accountingfor75percentofthecity'stotallandarea.Additionally,22countiesanddistrictswithinthecityhavemountainsexceeding1,200metersinelevation,offeringabundanticeandsnowtourismresources.TouristshavefunatNantianLakescenicareainFengduCounty,southwestChina'sChongqingMunicipality,Jan.25,2024.(Xinhua/ChuJiayin)"Forurbandwellersaccustomedtosnowlesswinters,skiinginthehighmountainsisundoubtedlyappealingandjoyful,"saidLuo,addingthatsoutherners'curiosesityaboutsnowisoneofthedrivingforcesbehindtheboomingwintertourismindustry.(Videoreporters:GuXun,ZhaoJiale;Videoeditors:HongLing,WeiYin,LuoHui,WuYao,ZhangQiru,LiuRuoshi)Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.