A Dreamy First-Time Ski Experience at Changbai Mountain🎿

#skitrip We visited Heping Ski Resort in Changbai Mountain as complete beginners — true first-timers from the south — and the experience was more than enough for us. The beginner area is quite spacious, and because the crowd wasn’t too heavy at the time, it was easy to find our own lane to practice without pressure. The view from the top of the beginner slope was beautiful too: endless forest stretching out in front of us and the sun slowly dropping toward the horizon. By around 4 PM, we were still able to catch the sunset glow while skiing. At one point, it even started snowing halfway down the slope. Imagine a scene with clear blue skies, golden sunlight sinking behind the mountains, and snowflakes quietly drifting around you — it felt unreal, almost like stepping into a dream. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Changbaishan North during the early part of the month, before the heavy tourist crowd arrived. The hotel stay included a complimentary two-person ski pass (3 hours each). According to the hotel, there are two ski resorts to choose from (Hong Song Wang and Heping), but during our visit, the information leaflet only listed Heping, so that’s where we went. There’s a shuttle bus operated by the ski resort that serves both the Crowne Plaza and the neighboring Lan Jing Hotel. The ride to Heping Ski Resort took around 20 minutes, and once we got off the bus, we were greeted by thick piles of snow — definitely a thrill for anyone from the south! Inside the equipment hall, the first thing to do is line up to collect your access card to enter the ski area. The hall itself can get a bit chaotic whenever a new wave of visitors arrives, as there are only staff handling gear distribution but no one directing the flow or organizing the queue. We rented goggles, protective gear (knee and hip pads), as well as ski jackets and pants, which cost us 460 RMB for two people. We chose snowboards instead of skis — definitely harder for beginners, especially just trying to stand and balance — but admittedly, snowboarding does look cooler in photos! There are plenty of storage lockers available, and don’t forget to return your locker deposit through the mini-program afterward. The hall also has many private instructors offering lessons, but the prices felt on the higher side, and since we were only trying things out for fun, we didn’t look into it further. One final note: the last shuttle back to the hotel seemed to be around 4:30 PM, so keep an eye on the time to make sure you don’t miss it.