China's biggest vertical and longest season are in Altay, Xinjiang. What each resort offers, 2026-27 snowmaking dates, flights and the Ahe Highway, avalanche closures and visa rules.
Altay prefecture, in the far north of Xinjiang near the Kazakh and Mongolian borders, markets itself as China's snow capital. Local tourism authorities say the area gets 170 to 180 snow days a year with an average depth of about a metre. Weather-station records count fewer snowy days, so treat those figures as promotional, but the cold is real: Altay City's January average low is -20.9°C (1991-2020). Cold air keeps snow dry well into spring, which is why Koktokay could run from 12 October 2025 to 28 April 2026, a 199-day season.
Jikepulin sits beside Hemu village in the Kanas scenic area. It opened in 2022 and is built around gondolas. Its top is 2,848 m and its vertical 1,466 m, the biggest in China. Many of its marked routes ski more like off-piste lines, and it hosted Freeride World Tour qualifiers in February and December 2025.
Koktokay, in Fuyun County, tops out at 3,041 m with roughly 1,220 m of vertical. It has 27 marked trails over 28 km and three high-speed gondolas, and it held China's first ski mountaineering championship in 2023.
Jiangjunshan is inside Altay City itself. In 2025-26 it ran night skiing from 20:30 to 23:00 on three runs and a sunset music party at the summit. Its steepest run, Xiangguang, is over 40 degrees and requires a certificate earned on an easier run first.
A fourth resort, Qinggeli Langshan in Qinghe County, completes the local list, though we found no verified details on it.
Koktokay started snowmaking on 7 October 2026 and Jikepulin on 9 October. Both said opening depends on the weather. Last season Koktokay opened on 12 October and Jikepulin on 10 November. Check our opening dates page for updates.
There are three airports. Altay Xuedu serves Altay City with direct flights from Beijing, Urumqi and other cities depending on the season. Kanas airport is 82 km from Jikepulin. Fuyun Koktokay airport is about 1.5 hours from Koktokay, which sits 18 km from Koktokay town.
The Ahe Highway links Altay City with Hemu: 209 km, about three to three and a half hours without stops, climbing to nearly 3,000 m. Snow can block the mountain sections, and drivers are advised not to drive it at night because of sharp curves, cliffs and no phone signal in places. Private cars cannot enter Hemu village; you park outside and take the scenic-area bus. An overnight themed train from Urumqi to Altay also began running around January 2026.
Avalanche closures are enforced. On 5 January 2026 the prefecture closed all of Jikepulin's Lingyun Valley and two off-piste areas at Koktokay, and entering closed areas is punishable. Avalanche forecasting in China is less developed than in the Alps or North America, so ski off-piste only where it is open, with transceiver, shovel and probe, and with a local guide.
Xinjiang runs on Beijing time, but daily life runs about two hours later; flights and trains use Beijing time. The local school snow holiday on 16 to 18 December 2026, plus the weekend, fills the resorts with local families; in 2025 that week brought more than 150,000 visits.
Xinjiang is outside the 240-hour visa-free transit scheme. Use 30-day visa-free entry if your passport qualifies (valid to 31 December 2026 unless renewed) or get a visa. Stay in accommodation licensed to register foreign guests, which matters in Hemu's guesthouses.
With the transfers, a week lets you ski two resorts without rushing. Our Altay guide and where to stay in Altay pages have the details.