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With the Winter Olympic Games heading to Beijing in 2022, professional skiers and ski enthusiasts should start planning a side journey to Tibet for new downhill thrills. Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, has been earmarked for a brand new ski resort which, according to the China National Tourist Office, will be the highest ski resort in China. Depending on where it is ultimately constructed, it could become the highest ski resort in the world.

Tibet, which is home to five mountains higher than 8,000 metres (26,000 feet), 70 mountains higher than 7,000 metres, (23,000 feet) and at least 1,000 mountains higher than 6,000 metres (20,000 feet,) is already well known as a mountaineering destination.

“With an average altitude of 4,500 meters above sea level, Tibet is rich in unique natural resources for ice and snow sports,” said Nyima Tsering, Deputy Director of Tibet’s Sports Bureau, in an article in the China Daily. Nyima, who also heads up the Tibet Mountaineering Guide School, has climbed to the sumit of Qomolangma (Mount Everest) three times.

Last year, the Tibet Shengshan Mountaineering Sports Adventure Co. organized a commercial mountaineering event, during which several climbers wanted to try mountain skiing. 

“Last year, three mountain climbers from inland China participated in the mountain skiing event on Mt. Chomolhari," said Sering Samdrup, manager of the Tibet Shengshan Mountaineering Sports Adventure Co. "Led by our athletes, they skied down from mountain tops of 7,034 meters. It was nerve-wracking, but also a great thrill for them.” 

The new ski resort is just one element in China’s 13th Five Year Plan, a roadmap for economic and infrastructure development over the next five years. The comprehensive plan covers a wide range of issues, ranging from reforming rural land systems, hospitals and the military to fully implementing China’s new fertility policy, which allows couples to have two children.

Plenty of new tourism infrastructure is also in the works, including an expanded high-speed rail system, seven new national expressways from Beijing, more than 50 new civilian airports and a brand new international airport in Beijing, capable of handling up to 100 million passengers when fully completed.

For more information on visiting China, visit www.cnto.org. 

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