In Banli Village, Yushan Town, Linshu County, Linyi City, Shandong Province, a brand-new asphalt road winds through the area. Along the road, a dry snow park stands out, with the sounds of laughter and screams from visitors echoing inside. “In the past, visitors would just come up the mountain, ski, and leave without leaving a trace in the village,” says Li Chuntu, the Party Secretary of Banli Village, standing in front of the newly constructed ski training center, filled with emotion.
The changes began this year. Linshu County has planned the construction of the “Yushan Banli” rural revitalization demonstration area, leveraging the annual influx of 80,000 skiers to the Jiagu Mountain scenic area, aiming to create an “ice and snow leisure town” to transform visitors who “ski and leave” into guests who “want to stay.”
“We not only want visitors to ‘ski to their heart’s content,’ but also to ‘have fun and feel comfortable staying here,’” Li Chuntu points to the newly built “Maodong Courtyards” in the village, explaining, “These courtyards are specially designed as unique accommodations for skiing tourists, featuring apartment-style rooms suitable for young people and cozy courtyards suitable for families.”
(The Maodong Courtyards)
The driving effect of the ice and snow economy is evident. New supporting businesses like snow enthusiast clubs, ski training centers, hot pot restaurants, and milk tea shops have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, making “skiing up the mountain and consuming down below” a reality.
Even more encouraging is that the ice and snow economy has activated the entire area’s industry. A breeding base for Gexianmi, developed in collaboration with Huazhong Agricultural University, has turned “swallows’ nests in water” into high-value products. Mo’s velvet embroidery has transformed from an intangible cultural heritage craft into fashionable cultural creations, becoming popular souvenirs for visitors. Specialty agricultural products like “Zhiqing tea” and Yushan sweet potatoes have also been revitalized through brand development and value enhancement, becoming must-have gifts for tourists.
Walking into the alley of micro-businesses in the village, there are oil shops, pancake shops, steamed bun shops, tofu shops, and noodle shops… one after another, these small food workshops create a vibrant atmosphere. The owner of the “Sweet Potato Meets Noodles” workshop, Zang Qinghuan, beams with joy: “Now that there are more tourists, I can sell three to four hundred pounds of noodles a day. The price of noodles is 10 yuan, and the rice sheets are 12 yuan, bringing in three to four thousand yuan a day, which is quite profitable.”
“The ice and snow economy brings not only visitor traffic but also development opportunities,” says the area’s responsible person. Riding the wave of the ice and snow economy, the area uses Banli Village as the engine for development, radiating and driving surrounding villages to achieve coordinated development and shared prosperity. The expected annual profit could reach 22 million yuan, creating over 500 jobs and increasing per capita annual income by 13,000 yuan, benefiting more than 20,000 people.
