The Chongli County International Skiing Festival opened in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, on Dec 3. The festival, which is expected to attract thousands of visitors, has been called the biggest and most fashionable skiing event in North China.

Chongli county, located 200 kilometers from Beijing, built its first natural ski resorts in 1996. In 2000, the Chongli County International Skiing Festival opened and it became the annual event. Since 2005, the county has held one or two international skiing competitions each year. The festival will end on April 10.