Top intl ski event opens in Changchun

The Vasaloppet China Changchun Jingyuetan International Ski Festival 2019 commenced at Jingyuetan National Scenic Area in Changchun, Northeast China’s Jilin province, on Jan 4.

Consisting of six cross-country skiing competitions and 17 ice and snow sports, the event will run until Feb 19.

Attendees at the opening ceremony included Liu Xin, acting mayor of Changchun, and Wang Junzheng, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee.

Following the ceremony, six competitions got underway, including a Vasaloppet China 50-kilometer race, a 25-km Blueberry race, and a cross-country skiing race for Chinese university students, with more than 1,000 professional skiers and enthusiasts from 32 countries and regions taking part.

Initiated in Sweden in 1922, the Vasaloppet ski festival was first held in Changchun in 2003, making China the fourth country in the world to host the skiing event, following Sweden, the United States, and Japan.

It is the 17th session of Vasaloppet China to be held in Changchun, with the organization of Federation International de Ski (FIS) Worldloppet (the world’s largest and most respected long distance cross-country skiing organization) 50-km race.

In addition to competitions, snow sculpture exhibitions and other ice-based activities are also on offer to visitors at Jingyuetan National Scenic Area during the event.

Skiers leave the starting line at Jingyuetan National Scenic Area in Changchun, Jan 4. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Skiers pictured during the race in Changchun, Jan 4 [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Three skiers pose for a picture following a race, Jan 4. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]