Christmas and New Year sit in the middle of China's opening weeks: how much terrain opens, how busy it gets, why it is quieter than Chinese New Year.
China does not observe Christmas as a public holiday, but ski resorts treat the week before and the New Year bank holiday (1 to 3 January) as a short peak. In practice you arrive while some resorts are still opening runs and lift tickets are at or near their highest seasonal prices.
The Chongli train from Beijing makes a Christmas week trip easy. From Qinghe station, the high-speed train reaches Taizicheng in about an hour, then shuttle buses take you to Genting, Thaiwoo and Wanlong. The Harbin to Yabuli high-speed train is just as quick on its final leg, about one hour from Harbin West to Yabuli West.
No Chinese resort had published a 2026-27 opening date when we checked on 20 October 2026. The clearest signals came from Altay in Xinjiang: Koktokay started snowmaking on 7 October and Jikepulin at Hemu on 9 October, with both saying the actual opening day depends on the weather. Until then, last season's confirmed dates and each resort's usual opening window are the best guide, and our opening dates page tracks the live announcements.
| Resort | Region | 2025-26 opening, or usual window | Open by Christmas week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koktokay | Altay, Xinjiang | 12 Oct 2025 | Yes, often deep snow |
| Wanlong | Chongli | usually mid-November | Yes, often early-season crowds |
| Genting | Chongli | usually late November | Yes, full terrain expected |
| Fulong | Chongli | usually early November | Yes |
| Thaiwoo | Chongli | usually late November | Yes, most runs open |
| Songhua Lake | Jilin | 22 Nov 2025 | Yes |
| Beidahu | Jilin | usually late November | Yes |
| Yabuli | Heilongjiang | usually mid-November | Yes |
| Jikepulin (Hemu) | Altay, Xinjiang | 10 Nov 2025 | Yes, if weather cooperates |
| National Alpine Centre (Yanqing) | Beijing | 22 Nov 2025 | Often part-open |
| Shijinglong | Beijing | 22 Nov 2025 | Often part-open |
| Jundushan | Beijing | 4 Dec 2025 | Often part-open |
| Nanshan | Beijing | 8 Dec 2025 | Often part-open |
Mid-December is the safer choice for a Christmas trip. By then the Chongli resorts have their full terrain open, the Beijing hills have at least their main runs, and the Altay and northeast resorts have accumulated enough natural snow to cover most of the planned trails. Cold weather has usually set the machine-made Chongli base firm.
Resorts charge their top prices over New Year. In 2025-26 Thaiwoo treated 1 to 3 January as a holiday band with its own highest price, and holiday days across Chongli cost well above an ordinary weekday; check each resort's official channels for 2026-27 prices. The crowds are real but they are not Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year falls on 6 February 2027 and our separate Chinese New Year crowds post covers that peak.
What you will notice in late December: lift queues at the popular Chongli bases, full car parks at Thaiwoo, and a stretch on the Beijing-Chongli train. The skiable terrain in Chongli is wider than the lift capacity, so the base areas feel busy while the upper mountain often stays quiet. Pick a less popular base (Fulong and Cuiyunshan over Wanlong and Thaiwoo) and you will wait less.
Outside the resort bubble, Harbin's Ice and Snow World opens around mid-December and pulls huge local crowds. The 28th edition was announced on 12 October 2026 at 1.25 million m² with a new extra-long ice slide in the West Zone. Opening date and ticket prices had not been published on 20 October 2026. Last season the park opened on 17 December 2025 with a 328-yuan adult ticket.
The New Year week is short enough that the resorts do not always feel the rush until a few days before. That said, the items that fill first are rooms at the bases, the most experienced instructors, and a small number of Christmas-week trains. Book these at least a month ahead, with the rooms being the priority.
Chongli accommodation near the slopes is the tightest. Our where to stay in Chongli page compares the bases. Thaiwoo town has the most restaurants and an ice rink, Wanlong is the closest match for advanced skiers, and Fulong sits on the edge of Chongli town near Chongli station, an intermediate stop before the Taizicheng terminus, so it works well without a car. The Beijing weekend ski trip post has worked Christmas-week examples.
Ski school spots fill before the lessons do. Reserve lessons when you book the room, and add a translator or a Chinese-speaking friend to your plans if your instructor's English is limited.
If you are flying into Beijing or Harbin over New Year, book flights early too. Domestic travel peaks around the holiday and fares rise sharply in the last two weeks of December.
For confident skiers, the bigger reward over Christmas is the natural snow of the northeast and Altay. Yabuli, near Harbin, hosted the skiing at the 2025 Asian Winter Games. Beidahu, near Jilin City, is the steepest of the three big Jilin resorts with about 875 m of vertical. In Altay, Jikepulin's vertical, described as the biggest in China, and Koktokay's 199-day 2025-26 season set the bar.
The cold is the price. Harbin's January average low is -22.4°C, Jilin City's is -20.8°C and Altay City's is -20.9°C. Our cold-weather guide covers what to wear.
For most foreign visitors, the practical visa point at Christmas and New Year is expiry. The 30-day visa-free entry scheme for around 50 nationalities runs until 24:00 Beijing time on 31 December 2026. On 20 October 2026 no extension into 2027 had been announced; only Russia's arrangement had been extended, to the end of 2027. If your trip straddles the New Year weekend, watch for an announcement before you book non-refundable flights. Our China travel essentials page has the full detail.