CHANGCHUN, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- As fresh snow blanketed the peaks of Daqing Mountain in northeast China's Jilin Province, young skiers from China and Japan raced down the pristine slopes, leaving intersecting tracks on the white canvas.
A shared passion for skiing has brought together athletes from Shanghai's Xuhui Youth Ski Team and Japan's Niigata Prefecture Ski Alliance, sparking friendships and fostering cultural exchange.
These teenage skiers, all under 18, started skiing before elementary school and now compete in professional tournaments.
The two teams conducted joint training at the Vanke Songhua Lake Ski Resort in Jilin Province. Activities included slalom training, freestyle skiing and video analysis to improve their techniques.
"Shared interests helped the youths bond quickly. The detailed guidance from Japanese coaches greatly benefited our athletes," said Zhang Xinyun, leader of the Shanghai team.
Among the participants, 11-year-old Wu Sitong, who recently skied in the Shanghai Youth Competition, was most impressed by her Japanese peers' attitude. "They get up very early and spend a long time each day on training," she said.
17-year-old Yokoo Aki from Japan started skiing at four under the guidance of her ski-athlete father and began competitive skiing at seven. She is currently preparing for the FIS Alpine Skiing competition in Hokkaido at the end of December.
"The snow quality here in Jilin is excellent, and the trails are long, which is thrilling to ski here. I was also touched by how polite my Chinese ski friends were. Everyone greeted me with 'hello' on the ski lift," Aki noted.
Yokoyama Riyou, who has visited China multiple times over the past two decades, noted the growing collaboration between the two nations in skiing. "In Niigata Prefecture, many Chinese skiing lovers frequently visit there. Skiing has become a bridge of friendship," he said.
China and Japan undergo a long history of skiing exchanges. In 1979, Chinese athletes Piao Dongxi and Wang Guizhen had trained in Japan to prepare for China's debut in the Winter Olympics.
Their coach, Hiroaki Kawano, later visited China six times to strengthen ties between the two nations' ski communities. Japan, with its advanced skiing tradition, remains a popular destination for Chinese ski enthusiasts.
Meanwhile, China's rapid development in the winter sports industry has led to the construction of 935 ski resorts by the end of 2023. Yokoyama acknowledged that many Chinese facilities now meet world-class standards, with Vanke Songhua Lake Ski Resort becoming a popular training base for ski teams from Japan's Niigata and Nagano prefectures, as well as for skiers from France and Canada.
"Jilin is gifted with an earlier ski season and a longer snow period compared to many parts of Japan," explained Zhang Penghao, the resort's general manager. "Combined with excellent accommodation and dining options, we have become a preferred winter destination for Japanese keen skiers and sports teams."
According to data, bookings for Chinese ski resorts by Japanese travelers have surged by 150 percent after China introduced visa-free travel in late November.
Jilin City and Changchun City saw year-on-year increases of 267 percent and 103 percent, respectively, in Japanese traveler bookings, making them top choices for Japanese visitors.
"Delicious food and comfortable living conditions have made my training in China much easier," said 15-year-old Japanese skier Kensei Wakai, who is preparing for high school. "I hope to come back to ski in China again after I start high school." ■
