United behind one vision

Brownell said Xi, an ardent sports fan and a "big supporter of sports in China", has played a key role in uniting different government systems behind one vision to promote the growth of winter sports.

During inspection trips to Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, Xi underlined the key role of the ice and snow sector in shoring up economic growth. The northeastern provinces endure long, harsh winters and have experienced an exodus of young people and slowing economic growth over the years.

In September 2018, Xi visited Chagan Lake, Jilin, the only area in China where traditional Mongolian ice fishing is used. The president spoke with fishermen and was briefed on efforts to treat pollutants and protect the environment.

He told local officials that lush mountains and lucid waters, as well as the ice and snow-covered land, are both invaluable assets, adding that the protection of the environment and the development of ecotourism must be aligned.

Shan Junguo, an official with the authority that administers the lake, said Xi's vision has been vindicated, as the area has been transformed into a major hub for winter sports and tourism.

A number of events, including a national skiing competition for college students and a marathon held on the frozen lake, have attracted winter sports enthusiasts.

Jilin is expected to receive 85 million tourist visits that generate 170 billion yuan in revenue during the 2021-22 winter season, Jing Junhai, the province's top official, said in an article published early this month in the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

The development of the winter sports sector has had an even bigger impact on Hebei province and Zhangjiakou, one of the host cities for the 2022 Winter Olympics. For example, development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway has reduced the travel time between the two cities from three hours to 48 minutes.

In 2017 and 2021, Xi made inspection trips to Chongli, a district in Zhangjiakou where some of the Games' skiing and snowboarding events are being held, and stressed the need to promote winter sports among children and increase public fitness levels through participation in sports.

He called for efforts to develop an area that integrates sports, cultural and tourism industries in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, to further the integrated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Liu Xinrui, an Alpine skiing coach in Chongli, has experienced firsthand the great changes in the district over the past five years. "When I first arrived in the county in 2016, it was like a rural township and no restaurant was open late at night. Now it's like a city that never sleeps," she said.