China makes trillion-yuan bet on sports to power economic growth

SHENZHEN: In subtropical Shenzhen, hundreds of visitors ski down artificial slopes at the massive Qianhai Snow World, which is kept at a year-round temperature of -6°C.

At 100,000 sq m  – about the size of 15 football fields – the world’s largest indoor ski centre is the southern Chinese city’s latest attempt to reinvent itself as a tourism destination.

The facility, which costs about US$4.2 million, features five professional slopes, ski lifts and snow play zones.

It even attracts visitors from neighbouring Hong Kong and Macau. For some, it is a novelty. 

“You can drive to this (ski arena) in Shenzhen and it's quite fast, taking about an hour,” said one Hong Kong customer, who was visiting during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.

For the Chinese government, the facility is more than a mere tourist attraction. It is part of a national push towards sports excellence and the potential to power the country’s economy on a global stage.

Casual skiers aside, the centre is built to host international competitions. The venue will soon be connected to a hotel, an indoor diving pool and a cycling track, creating an “active lifestyle” complex.

Beijing is betting big on sports as a driver of domestic consumption. In September, authorities released a set of guidelines aimed at accelerating the growth of the country’s sports industry.

The aim is to tap into the sector’s consumption potential and drive what officials call “high-quality development”.

"Benefiting livelihoods is the basis and premise of promoting consumption,” Sheng Qiuping, China’s vice minister of commerce, said in September.

“Promoting consumption is also an important way to benefit livelihoods. For example, policy measures are put forward, creating a number of high-quality