A Guide to Visiting Wanlong Ski Resort in Chongli, Zhangjiakou | Winter Sports in China

For the winter sports enthusiasts in China, one of the top ski and snowboarding locations to visit is Chongli District in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province. Located just 2 hours outside of Beijing, Chongli was a key site for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and is renowned for its pristine slopes and modern facilities.

This holiday season I visited Wanlong Ski Resort (万龙滑雪场) in Chongli. I’ve never been to a ski resort in China and I’ve never been snowboarding ever, so it was quite an experience!

Here is some useful information to know if you’re planning to visit Chongli, including how to get to Chongli, where to stay, how to rent equipment, and the price of tickets.

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Ski Resorts in Chongli

Chongli in Zhangjiakou is home to several prominent ski resorts, many of which gained international recognition during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Here’s a list of some of the well-known ski resorts in Chongli:

Wanlong Ski Resort (万龙滑雪场): A top-tier resort with a range of slopes catering to both beginners and advanced skiers. This is the resort I visited.
Genting Resort Secret Garden (云顶雪乡秘境滑雪场): Known for its expansive terrain and modern facilities, it offers diverse skiing experiences.
Thaiwoo Ski Resort (太舞滑雪度假村): A luxury resort that hosted several Olympic events, Thaiwoo boasts world-class amenities and challenging slopes. It’s a popular choice for expats in China.

There are a few other ski resorts here, including Duolemeidi Ski Resort (多乐美地滑雪场), Chongli Taizicheng Ski Resort (崇礼太子城滑雪场), and Kewan Ski Resort (客湾滑雪场).

How To Get To Chongli

Train to Chongli: Depart from Beijing North Station or Beijing Qinghe station, with Chongli station being your final stop. I took a train from Beijing Qinghe to Chongli, which usually takes around 1 hour 20 minutes and might cost you 60-80 RMB for a second class seat.
Train to Zhangjiakou: Alternatively if no options are available to Chongli, or you are not coming from Beijing, you can also take a train to Zhangjiakou Railway Station, then take a taxi to Chongli (about 40 minutes taxi ride).

Note: The first option was best for me for getting to Wanlong Ski Resort. If you are going to another ski resort, for example, Taizicheng Ski Resort, there might be a better train stop option.

Where To Stay in Chongli

Chongli itself is a well developed district, since it hosted the Beijing 2022 Olympics. There are many hotel options on Trip.com that you can search for. You can choose to stay at the resort you’re going to as well, which tends to be pricier.

My friends and I booked two larger apartments to share together with kitchens for cooking inside the Rongchen Holiday Hotel Apartments. This was done through a Chinese hotel booking app. We were a 10 minute drive from the Chongli Train Station, and a 14 minute drive from Wanlong Ski Resort. So in the mornings, we would just take a Didi or taxi to go to snowboarding.

Again, there are lots of options for hotels around this area. So just see what works best for your price range and how close you want to be to the ski resort you’re going to. Check out this link at Trip.com for more recommendations: Nearby Hotels of Wanlong Ski Resort.

Renting Equipment for Skiing or Snowboarding in Chongli

If you don’t have your own equipment and winter clothing gear, you can rent from one of the many shops around Chongli, or even from the ski resort itself. Often the prices will be a little cheaper if you rent from a shop in Chongli instead of the ski resort directly, but it’s up to you!

I rented all my gear from a little shop called 冰火TRA 滑雪店 (Ice Fire TRA Ski Shop). There are many rental shops, so you don’t need to go to this specific one. It was just close to the apartment we were staying in, so it was convenient to go here.

First decide if you’ll be snowboarding or skiing, and they can help you from there.

My rental gear I got:

Outer jacket
Ski pants (salopettes)
Snowboarding boots
Helmet
Goggles
Snowboard

The total for all my rental gear was 440 RMB ($61.50 USD) for two days.

The pants + jacket were 100 per day, the board, helmet and boots were 100 per day, plus extra for the goggles. The prices might differ between shops, and some owners might be willing to haggle on the price a little.

You can also rent whatever individual items you need and the price will adjust accordingly. For example, my friend already owned her own snowboarding jacket and pants, and only needed the snowboard, helmet and boots.

Ticketing & Pricing for Wanlong Ski Resort

You can buy tickets online through Dianping, WeChat, or Alipay, or directly at the resort. Entrance fees vary based on activities, duration of time, and if you are bringing your own gear or renting directly from the ski resort.

If you don’t read Chinese, I recommend using a translation app to screenshot and translate the different options.

Since I rented my items from a ski resort in town, I bought tickets that didn’t include gear rental. I paid 1099 RMB ($154 USD) for two full days (16 hours).

Here are the different time slots I could buy for:

4 hours: 339 RMB
1 day: 529 RMB
1.5 days: 719 RMB
2 days: 919 – 1099 RMB

Note: these prices might change depending on the season and other factors, so best to check the site directly yourself for the most updated prices

If you buy your ticket online in advance, you will receive a QR code to scan at a machine when you arrive at Wanlong. The staff can help you with this. You can also directly buy at Wanlong.

You will receive a magnetic card that will allow you to take the chairlifts and cable car up the mountain. The card will work for as long as the duration you bought for. I bought a card for two days.

Wanlong Trails, Chairlifts, and Cablecars

Wanlong offers a range of trails from beginner to advanced. You will scan your card to take the chairlift or cablecar up to the top of Honghualiang Mountain, then can choose which trail to go down from the top.

I went the weekend before Christmas on December 23 and 24, and while many people were there it was not overly crowded on the slopes. The wait for the cablecar up was only a few minutes, and people would scatter among their various trails at the top. Like with any ski resort, make sure to be aware of others around you.

Since I was a beginner, I spent time on the “magic carpet” beginner area (aka the bunny slope) down by the entrance. There is an option to just buy the magic carpet ticket if you know you won’t take the chairlift or cablecar to the mountain top to try the trails.

I also did the long green trail that traces around the left side of the mountain, so I had a chance to try out the cable car. You can opt to take the cable car down if you don’t want to ski or snowboard down.

My friends who were experienced snowboarders spent time on the blue and black trails.

Wanlong Ski Resort Facilities

The facilities at Wanlong are pretty good and include rentals, dining areas, cafes, and locker storage.

Rental equipment: Rent equipment here if you haven’t already

Dining: Refuel at the restaurant inside, which has both local Chinese food and a few international options. You can choose from meats and veggies, fresh noodles, and a variety of other made-to-order dishes. There is also a Krow’s Nest Pizza shop, a bakery, and other foods.
Cafés: I was very pleasantly surprised to see there was a Costa Coffee inside the resort! There was also another coffee shop available.
Lockers: Store your equipment during the day or overnight. This was convenient if you are going to come for more than one day. Just leave your snowboard and other gear overnight in the lockers.
Tables: There are tons of tables throughout the facility. People will just leave their belongings out on these tables while they are snowboarding, which is quite funny. But in China, people leave your things alone and it is safe.
“Ambulance room”: There is a medic room, but I would caution anyone strongly about this. A friend of mine hurt her wrists snowboarding, and they didn’t do much to help. They just recommended her to go to the hospital in Chongli, which luckily isn’t far and she had insurance. So be careful, and having your own insurance is a good idea!

How Many Days For a Trip

If you are journeying from Beijing, I would recommend staying at least one night to enjoy a full day out in the slopes. If you need to though, it is possible to do in a one day trip from Beijing.

There are also several hot springs nearby, so it would be worth it to enjoy more time in the area!

What To Pack For Chongli

Outer jacket (you can rent in Chongli)
Ski pants (you can rent in Chongli)
Thermal tops: I wore two long sleeve thermal layers under my outer coat
Thermal leggings: I wore two pairs of leggings under my ski pants
Socks: I wore two pairs
Gloves: I brought two pairs, one a lighter thinner glove with phone touch screen capabilities, and a larger snow proof pair to wear over those when snowboarding.
Hat to wear under your helmet
Snoods: They are designed to keep your neck and lower face protected from cold weather. Perfect for skiing, as it’s not bulky like a scarf but will protect your face from the wind and cold while on the slopes.
Swimsuit (optional): There are several hot springs around the area, which is really great if you want to visit one after a day out in the snow.
Hand warmers: These are great to stick inside your boots, jacket pockets, etc. It’s also great for warming up your phone in your pocket – the cold will kill your battery really quickly.

To all snow enthusiasts in China: Chongli in Zhangjiakou promises snowy adventures and unforgettable memories. No matter if you’re a snowboarding expert or just starting out for the first time, it’s a fun experience to try. Gear up, embrace the chill, and let the slopes guide your journey!

What else would you want to know about visiting Wanlong?

Rachel Meets China