Yabuli Ski Resort
Location: 23 kilometers from Yabuli County, Helongjiang Province; 198 km from Harbin City
Season: Mid-November to next March
Trails: 11
Highest Mountain: 1375m
Snowboards: Yes
Level of difficulty: Beginners - Advanced
Opening year: 1980
Accommodation: a wide range of selections from hostel to 5 star hotels. e.g. Windmill hotel and villas, Qingyun Villa, Dianli Villa, and a Club Med Resort.
Getting there:
A trip from Beijing to Harbin takes about 2 hours by air and 7-8 hours by bullet train. It takes about 3 hours by train from Harbin to Yabuli, and another 30 minute by car from Yabuli to the resort.
Flights from Beijing to Harbin are frequent. There are also a few flights into Mudanjiang, about 100km closer to Yabuli than Harbin. From Mudanjiang you can also take a train to Yabuli (about 1.5 hours).
Highlights:
Yabuli Ski Resort is the largest and best ski resort in China. Ideal for skiers of all levels and ages, it has 20 miles of ski slopes in a national park. Having hosted the Winter Asian Games in 1996, the National Winter Games in 2008 and the Winter Universiade in 2009, the resort is fully equipped with the best lifts and gondolas. The number of snow days averages around 170 and the skiing season last for 120 days.
Besides, the annual Ice and Snow Festivals held from late December through late February in Harbin. Since most visitors will travel to and from Yabuli through Harbin, adding an extra day or two onto a trip for these is well worth the time.