Three Olympic-era ski destinations compared honestly: Japan wins on snow, Chongli on new lifts and train access from Beijing, Korea on short trips. Prices converted at 19 October 2026 rates.
Korea held the 2018 Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang, where Yongpyong hosted the technical alpine events. China followed in 2022, with the snowboard and freestyle events at Genting in Chongli. Japan has a much longer ski history and hosted the 1998 Games in Nagano. All three are a short flight apart, so the question for many skiers in Asia is simply which one to pick this winter.
Japan is the clear winner. Storms off the Sea of Japan drop heavy, frequent snow on Hokkaido and the Japan Alps, and that is what Japan's reputation rests on.
Chongli is cold and dry. Its runs depend on snowmaking, so you ski firm, well-groomed pistes under blue skies. That suits carving and park riding more than powder hunting.
If you want natural snow in China, go further. Altay in Xinjiang has China's biggest vertical, 1,466 m at Jikepulin, and Koktokay stayed open from 12 October 2025 to 28 April 2026. It is a bigger trip than Japan, though, with long transfers and avalanche closures to respect.
Chongli is new. Its nine resorts and 219 runs were mostly built in the last twenty years, with eight-seat gondolas at Wanlong and Thaiwoo. Wanlong lists 19 of its 32 runs as advanced, and Genting has the Olympic park courses. Yongpyong has 31 slopes. Japan's biggest areas, such as Hakuba Valley, are larger, and the lift fleet varies from brand-new to decades old.
Here is a like-for-like adult day ticket, converted at the European Central Bank's 19 October 2026 reference rates (1 yuan is about 23.7 yen):
| Resort | Season | Adult day | In yuan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thaiwoo, Chongli (weekday rack) | 2025-26 | 443 yuan | 443 |
| Wanlong, Chongli (weekend rack) | 2025-26 | 650 yuan | 650 |
| Hakuba Goryu and Hakuba47, Japan | 2026-27 | ¥10,000 | about 422 |
Chongli's rack prices are similar to or above Japan's, but official-channel discounts often bring them close to half. Chongli's 2026-27 prices had not been published on 20 October 2026.
From Beijing, Chongli is about an hour by high-speed train from Qinghe to Taizicheng, with free shuttles to Genting, Thaiwoo and Wanlong, and no car needed. Many passports can enter China visa-free for 30 days until 31 December 2026, and 240-hour transit covers Beijing and Hebei.
Chinese resorts are busiest at weekends and around New Year and the Spring Festival (6 February 2027). On weekdays outside those periods they can be very quiet. English is less common than in Japan's international resorts, so set up translation and payment apps before you go; our China travel essentials page covers them.
Choose Japan if powder is the point. Choose Chongli if you are already in Beijing, want modern lifts and Olympic terrain without a car, or want to add something new to a China trip. Choose Altay if you want China's longest seasons and biggest vertical and do not mind the distance. Our Chongli guide has the details.