Erlongshan Ski Resort

• Surroundings: In the heart of Erlongshan Scenic Reserve's dense pine forests
• Season: End of November – End of March
• Location: 65 kilometers/ an hour's drive east of the capital city, Harbin
• Trails: 6 Apline, the steepest w/30° slope, 2 Beginner ramps w/3° slope
• Lift: 1, plus trams that lead directly to the lift from the lodging area
• Off-piste snow activities: Rentals and trails/runs for snowmobiles and toboggans, snowboarding park, skating rink, snow playground for "children" of all ages
• Target Group: Beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, yet decidedly family-friendly.

Detailed Description

Erlongshan Ski Resort, aka Longzhu (Dragon Pearl) Ski Resort, is located in the Erlongshan Scenic Reserve near the city of Binxian, some 65 kilometers from the capital city, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. The ski resort covers some 780,000 square meters of forested terrain. "Rolling hills" is a fair description of the terrain surrounding Mount Erlong itself. Erlongshan Ski Resort was the venue for the 2004 International Ski Federation's World Cup of Freestyle Aerials.

Planning to have a skiing vacation this winter? China Highlights offer many skiing tours suitable for skiers of every level.

Skiing

The sharper gradients of Mount Erlong's slopes lend themselves admirably to Alpine skiing rather than to Nordic, or Cross-Country, skiing. In spite of the excellent gradient on the steepest slopes (30° as indicated in the summary above), the ski resort is very family-friendly, since every effort is made to keep skiers with different skill levels apart. Safety is one of the chief concerns of the ski resort's operators, as safety is the basis for a worry-free, pleasurable experience, both for the younger neophyte as well as for the more seasoned skier, and this concern is reflected in the well-thought-out organization of Erlongshan Ski Resort as well as in the professionalism of the management staff.

The winter weather on Mount Erlong is cold enough to ensure about 170 days of snow per year, though the prime ski season is only about 120 days, or 4 months, long – the usual for China. However, should mother nature fail at any time, the ski resort has two snow-making machines, as well as a snow-grooming machine to keep the "powder" on Mount Erlong's Alpine slopes in tip-top condition.

Skiing

Besides being family-friendly, Erlongshan Ski Resort is very all-around in the sense that it offers a variety of snow-related activities besides skiing. In addition, all types of snow-related equipment – from skis to snowmobiles to snowboards and toboggans – is rented here. The ski resort also has a competent staff of ski instructors whose skills range from providing "hands-on" tutoring for beginners to tips for more experienced skiers who may be struggling with certain difficult techniques.

Erlongshan Ski Resort can accomodate up to 4000 guests at any given time. Lodgings range from the well-appointed Fengchen Villa to budget-priced bed & breakfast affairs (guest houses). The ski resort also sports a sauna for those who enjoy the relaxation of a good, deep cleansing. There are restaurants and bars here that cater to both Asian and Western tastes. Should you tire of skiing, you can always try your hand – foot? – at skating on the ski resort's large skating rink, you can try snowboarding, tobogganing, or rent a snowmobile, or you can play a game of snow soccer with friends and/or fellow guests on the "snow playground", where you might also get drawn into a bit of fun in an old-fashioned snowball free-for-all.

If you are in the Harbin area during the off-ski season, you should seriously consider a trip to the ski resort, where you will find some beautiful landscapes that invite you for a refreshing stroll through verdant pine forests and along the willow-lined shores of pristine lakes. The restaurants and bars are of course open year around. The ski resort was the venue for the 2008 Chinese Table Tennis Amateur Invitational. In addition, Erlongshan Ski Resort, which has an impressively large banquet hall, has served as a conference center for important national and international meetings. See China Highlights ski tours to ski in Erlongshan Ski Resort.

How to get there

There is a direct flight from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) – from the domestic terminal – to Harbin Taiping International Airport (HRB) that takes about 2 hours. From Harbin to the ski resort, you can either take a special bus in Harbin that has several downtown points of pick-up (nearby all the major hotels), where it picks up passengers. You can also rent your own car of course, or engage a taxi. The trip from Harbin to Erlongshan Ski Resort takes roughly an hour.

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