The Changbaishan region is generally a flat plain interspersed with volcanic peaks, either extinct or dormant, the largest of which is Changbaishan arising to about 2200 meters. Nearby, at about 1400 meters is a double peak that is the site of the Wanda Changbaishan resort.Located a mere 13km from the new Changbaishan airport with free shuttle service, and 25 km from the Changbaishan Mountain West Gate entrance, this new large ski resort expands on the larger development of the West Gate region (Songjianghe) as a year round vacation and tourist prime destination. The total development consists of a north section that includes condominiums and year round facilities and a south section that includes the ski mountains and an extensive Alpine Village.
Built around a walking street at the base of the mountains, there are shops and restaurant with a variety International class hotels including a Holiday Inn Suites, a Holiday Inn Resort hotel, a Sheraton Hotel, a Westin Hotel and a Hyatt hotel as well as an Ibis and a Holiday Inn Express for the budget minded and two Chinese brand hotels. All the Western branded hotels can be booked directly on their respective corporate web sites.
Base Village seen from Front Mountain Trail
Wanda Changbaishan Resort East Side Trail Map
Wanda Resort Base Village Map
Poma Gondola
The ski mountains have 7 lifts. 5 are Dopplemeyer high speed detachable chairs and 2 are Poma gondolas. These lifts serve a network of some 40 trail segments which form about 18 distinct trails. Limited by the vertical size of the the mountains, however, most trails are relatively short, often with long flat runouts. Pitches run from quite steep to gentle beginners with many more in the steeper category than the gentle category. Some of the steeper trails are even left mostly ungroomed to develop moguls that make the trails genuine black diamond, albeit short ones. The base next to the village includes 5 Magic Carpet lifts for a very generous novice area.
HELMUTS MANDATORY! The resort has a strong penchant for safety that includes a mandatory helmut policy, a ski patrol person stationed at the head of each open trail and complete top to bottom trail edge fencing on open trails.
New Rentals are by Elan, Atomic, Dynastar and Dalbello with boards by Elan. All equipment is, of course, brand new and dispensed efficiently with computer tracking tied to your lift pass.
Surrounding the resort are condominium projects that are also now available for purchase. Most of these are in the more remote north section but connected to the ski resort is a single family house development that is reminiscent of the villages surrounding many western resorts. Two years ago there were barely any ski resort connected condos. Now with ChongLi, Changbaishan, Beidahu and Yabuli all offering vacation homes, China has at last entered the winter vacation home market in a serious way.
