The country where students get days off for a ‘snow break’ – including free skiing

Tens of thousands of students in China's northwestern Xinjiang region are set to enjoy their first official snow holiday, a move by authorities aimed at bolstering the country's burgeoning ice and snow economy and enhancing children's physical fitness.

Local officials in Altay prefecture, an area renowned for its ski resorts, confirmed on WeChat this week that over 70,000 students will receive a nine-day extended break from late November.

The move "aims to fully leverage the region's unique ice and snow resources, allowing students to connect with nature, inherit culture, and improve their physical fitness during the holiday," they said.

During the snow holiday, primary and secondary students from Altay City will have free access to multiple ski resorts as well as free public transport.

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Local cultural venues, libraries and museums will also hold ice and snow-themed events, Altay authorities said.

It comes as Chinese authorities try to expand events linked to ice and snow as a new growth sector.

The country is targeting to grow winter sports, tourism and equipment manufacturing with a projected value of 1.5 trillion yuan ($211 billion/£160.3 billion) by 2030.

Northern regions, such as Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and Xinjiang are key areas which will see expanded training facilities, development of elite winter sports hubs and the hosting of international events, China's State Council said last year.

Generally, skiing and snow sports are becoming more popular among the Chinese public.

Many locals have been inspired to take more interest in winter sports since the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Other major events such as the Asian Winter Games and National Winter Games have also contributed to a greater awareness of snow sports.

Once an exclusive past time, winter sports are now booming - with China rapidly becoming a significant player in the global snow industry.

Across the country, many ski resorts are now open for business for the winter, with some reporting thousands of visitors a day at the weekend.

Certain areas of northern China can see up to 240 days of snow a year - making it ripe for snow tourism.