When foreign skiers think of Xinjiang powder they picture Altay, but Yili (Ili) — the warm, green valley in the west — has quietly built a winter season worth a dedicated trip. The 2025-26 “Beautiful Yili on Ice and Snow” campaign runs from October 2025 to March 2026 with more than 100 million yuan in visitor subsidies and over 100 winter events. The pitch is not just skiing: it is “warm-sun skiing” by day and hot springs, swan rime, and blue-ice lakes by night. This guide walks through the resorts, the off-slope wonders, and how to plan a Yili ski week that ends in a snow-field hot spring.
Why Yili Is Xinjiang’s Surprise Winter Destination
Yili’s winter is milder than Altay’s yet still delivers reliable snow. Daytime often stays near or just below freezing with clear sun, which means comfortable skiing and, crucially, a deep non-ski culture layered on top: swan-in-rimed-spring photography, blue-ice lakes, snow galloping horses, and Kazakh yurts with hot milk tea. The official “Warm-Sun Skiing” route strings together Nalati, Kalajun, and Huocheng Fushou Mountain resorts, so you can ski different terrain every day without long transfers. For a broader map of regions, our Xinjiang ski resorts overview covers the whole prefecture.
The Ski Resorts — Nalati, Kalajun & Fushou Mountain
Yili’s ski map centers on three resorts, each distinct in feel and all on the official winter route.
Nalati International Ski Resort
Set below the famous Nalati grassland in Xinyuan County, Nalati International Ski Resort (also called the Hainse ski area) pairs groomed runs with a real “sky prairie” backdrop that few resorts anywhere can match. After skiing, the local move is to soak in the snow-field hot spring at Jinling Villa and sleep in a Hainse folklore village while a dombra player sings — a classic Yili evening we detail in our Xinjiang apres-ski guide. It is the most beginner-friendly of the three and the easiest to pair with non-ski days.
Kalajun Backcountry Powder Park
In Tekes County, Kalajun’s backcountry powder park is for riders who want trees, glades, and snowmobile access into the pine snow rather than corduroy. Nights are spent in snow-valley wilderness lodges where it can hit minus 20 outside but a heated room, down sleeping bag, and Kazakh milk tea keep you warm while the Milky Way burns overhead. Strong intermediates and experts will get the most from it; bring a guide if you plan to leave the marked zones.
Huocheng Fushou Mountain Ski Resort
Huocheng’s Fushou Mountain rounds out the warm-sun route with family-friendly slopes close to the Ili River valley, an easy add if you are basing in Yining city and want a low-commitment ski morning before the cultural sights.
Beyond the Slopes — Yili’s Five Winter Impressions
The Yili winter campaign frames the season around five “impressions,” and they are genuinely skiable-day fillers rather than marketing fluff.
Swan Spring Rime and Tianma Snow Gallop
At Yining’s Swan Spring, whooper swans glide through rime-covered reeds at minus 15°C — a photographer’s dream and a calm counterpoint to the lifts. In Zhaosu, the “Tianma snow gallop” sees Ili horses thunder across snowfields with frost in their manes, and the county’s ice-and-snow world and rime avenue stay open all season. Zhaosu is also building its own snow capital, covered in our Zhaosu Tianshan snow capital guide, which is worth reading before you route through the county.
Blue Ice at Zhaosu Yuhu Lake
Zhaosu’s Yuhu Lake freezes into jade-blue ice with a slide-able “blue ice avenue” and weekend horse races on the surface — unlike anything at a standard resort and a short drive from the ski route. Go mid-morning for the clearest ice color and fewest crowds.
Warmth, Food & Culture
Off the snow, Yili rewards slow afternoons: Six-Star Street in Yining for baked ice cream and Bayan accordion music, the Tekes Bagua (Eight Trigrams) city layout, and Huiyuan ancient town near Huocheng. Eat smoked horse meat, snow-hotpot, and local trout, and leave an evening for a yurt dinner with dombra and “Heizouma” dance around the fire.
A Sample 6-Day Yili Ski Loop
This loop balances skiing with the non-ski highlights above:
- Day 1 — Arrive Yining; afternoon at Six-Star Street and Swan Spring rime if light allows.
- Day 2 — Ski Nalati International Resort; evening hot spring and folklore village.
- Day 3 — Second Nalati morning, then drive Tekes; night in a snow-valley lodge.
- Day 4 — Ski Kalajun backcountry powder; afternoon snowmobile or tree runs.
- Day 5 — Drive to Zhaosu; blue-ice Yuhu Lake and the Tianma snow gallop show.
- Day 6 — Huocheng Fushou Mountain half-day, then return to Yining to fly out.
Getting to Yili
Most international visitors fly into Urumqi and take a connecting flight to Yining (Yili) airport, the region’s main gateway, then rent a car or hire a driver for the resort loop. The valley is large and the resorts sit one to two hours apart, so a private car is the practical choice if you want to ski a different mountain each day. Winter roads are well maintained but can be icy at dawn, so build buffer time into transfers and let the driver handle the early starts while you rest for the slopes. Book the Yining-Six-Star-Street hotels early in festival weeks, because the whole valley fills up fast once the snow settles.
Planning Your Yili Ski Trip
The best snow window is December through February, matching the subsidy period (Oct 10, 2025 to Mar 31, 2026) when 31 scenic areas of 4A grade and above offered ticket discounts and hotels ran promotions. Base in Yining for the resorts and rime, or loop Tekes-Nalati-Zhaosu over five to seven days. For the wider regional context, our China skiing guide places Yili in the national picture alongside Altay and the northeast.
What to Pack for a Yili Ski Trip
Pack for sun-and-cold: a good shell, merino layers, sunglasses for the glare off blue ice, and a second phone battery for the cold. Resort rentals exist at Nalati and Fushou Mountain, but backcountry riders should bring their own avalanche kit and never leave the marked zone without a local guide. Book hotels and the Zhaosu shows in advance during festival weekends, when the whole valley fills up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which ski resorts are on Yili’s winter route?
The Warm-Sun Skiing route links Nalati International Ski Resort, the Kalajun backcountry powder park in Tekes, and Huocheng Fushou Mountain, with Yining’s Six-Star Street as the urban start point.
When does Yili’s 2025-26 winter season run?
The “Beautiful Yili on Ice and Snow” season runs from October 10, 2025 to March 31, 2026, with visitor subsidies and scenic-area discounts across that window.
Is Yili good for beginners or only backcountry?
Both. Nalati and Fushou Mountain have groomed, beginner-friendly runs, while Kalajun offers tree and powder backcountry for stronger riders with a guide.
What is there to do off the slopes in Yili?
Swan Spring rime, Zhaosu blue-ice lakes and snow galloping horses, Tianma culture parks, hot-spring nights, and Kazakh yurt dinners with dombra music.
How many days do I need for a Yili ski trip?
Five to seven days lets you ski Nalati, Kalajun, and Fushou Mountain while leaving time for Zhaosu blue ice and a Yining rime morning.