Since the season began in October 2017, the park has received more than 4,000 skiers not only from China but also the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan.

The Skiing industry also provides jobs in remote Altay. Yargyabug Nima, a native of Altay and excellent skier, became a guide in the ski park last year after taking professional training.

"Many of my colleagues were herders before. At that time life was tough in winter when heavy snow cut off traffic. But things have changed a lot since the local government improved the transport and infrastructure," says Yargyabug.

The park is also the first in China with a helicopter service. Each flight costs about 10,000 yuan (about 1,560 U.S. dollars) per person.

"Despite its expensive cost, the service is gaining popularity among skiers. There has been 200 helicopter trips in 2017," says Tang, adding that one more helicopter will serve tourists this year.

Apart from the skiing park, Altay Prefecture has three ski resorts, and two new resorts are under construction.

According to prefecture tourism department, Altay's winter tourism programs received 3 million tourists in 2017, accounting for 19 percent of the tourists received by the prefecture.

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