China Opens World’s Largest Indoor Ski and Snowboard Resort Amid Sweltering Heat

Shanghai has unveiled the world’s largest indoor ski resort, L*SNOW Indoor Skiing Theme Resort, just as the city grapples with its hottest August in six decades. Despite the scorching temperatures outside, the inside of the resort remains comfortably close to freezing. The facility boasts a massive 90,000 square meters of skiing space, along with shops, hotels, and a water park slated to open soon, expanding the total area to an impressive 350,000 square meters.

Situated in the Pudong district, a once sparsely populated area of Shanghai now thriving with development, the resort's debut was not without challenges. A safety review was conducted after a skier’s finger was severed during a limited-entry trial earlier in the week. Originally scheduled to open in 2019, the resort is part of a broader state-backed initiative aimed at promoting winter sports across China, fueled in part by the country’s hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympics and the increasing recreational interests of its expanding middle class.

The L*SNOW resort has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest indoor ski resort globally, surpassing a similar facility in Harbin. China now claims five of the ten largest indoor ski areas in the world, reflecting a national trend toward constructing these massive indoor venues as traditional outdoor slopes in northern China face challenges from climate change. The decline of natural snow in these regions mirrors issues seen in European ski destinations like the Alps, prompting a shift toward indoor skiing experiences.

Operating with artificial snow, the resort uses 72 cooling machines and 33 snow-making machines to maintain optimal skiing conditions. While a recent Shanghai government report acknowledged that such projects inevitably consume significant energy, the resort was designed with sustainability in mind, featuring ice storage, waste-heat recovery systems, and solar panels covering three-quarters of the roof. “We have taken a lot of energy-saving measures,” officials stated, emphasizing the balance between the facility’s substantial energy needs and the commitment to environmental responsibility.