On December 25th, at the Chongli Ski Resort, 200 kilometers away from the center of Beijing, Tmall presented an immersive ice and snow show. At the Big Air platform of Yunzhi Ski Resort, a symphony orchestra performed live while professional skiers gave professional performances on the platform. The ski slopes transformed into a natural stage. 14 major brands joined together, and 30+ latest and cutting-edge winter fashion and skiing equipment looks were unveiled at the ski slope show venue, bringing the narrative chapter of "Fly to Milan" in the 2025 Tmall Ice and Snow Season to a climax.
On a chilly night of minus 20 degrees Celsius in Chongli, this immersive ice and snow show full of imagination, courage and professionalism directly transformed the Winter Olympics heritage landmark into a natural stage, turning the competition area into a public consumption venue. Olympic champion Xu Xin and curling champion Ling Zhi made their appearance, injecting a strong dose of championship genes and professional charm into this grand show.
In fact, Tmall is currently organizing a grand winter festival here - with the theme of "Flying to Milan", adopting a three-part storyline from the snowy region to Milan. This is not only a creative concept for the show but also a subtle metaphor for the upgrading path of China's winter sports industry. At the highest point of the flight, it points towards the ultimate destination, Milan. The actual presentation shows the positioning of "an inspiration and trend transfer station from Chinese winter sports consumption to the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics".
01 From the ski resort in the suburbs of Beijing to the competition venue: The economics of ice and snow in a "snowport"
The report indicates that by 2025, the scale of China's ice and snow industry will exceed one trillion yuan, and the ice and snow economy has become a form of popular consumption.
Today, the "Ice Season" event by Tmall has made a stunning debut, injecting new vitality into the local ice and snow economic chain. Last year, Tmall's Ice Season was held at the snowfield in Altay, Xinjiang, echoing the origin of human skiing. It created a snow tribe. This year, a slow-flashing space named "Tmall Flying Airport" was built in Tongliang Yunzhi, introducing new and exclusive products from over ten winter and ice sports brands such as Li Ning, Dadaa, Desant, UTO, Meilicheng, Goretex, Phenix, Burton, etc., as well as the skiing photography device Huawei Mate 80 series mobile phone. This flying airport is transformed into a transit station with inspiration and trend for Chinese ice and snow consumption leading to the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.
At the ski resort airport, Tmall collaborates with multiple brands to offer benefits to skiers. On-site, skiers can choose to purchase skiing equipment, enjoy free hot drinks, participate in ice hockey activities, etc., allowing them to experience the event in a different way. They can also win free ski tickets, making it a transit point for skiers' benefits.
To enhance the fun and interactivity, a passport check-in system was adopted at the event. After each skier received the "Tmall Flying Passport", they followed the instructions and went to various brand zones to check in. During the game, they embarked on a journey of gradually flying to Milan while reviewing past Winter Olympics events. There was also a Tmall U-First Welfare Zone on site, where one could enjoy winter sample benefits.
02 The Consumption Panorama Weaved by Events, Brands and Experiences
During the 2025-2026 winter season, Chongli will not only host and organize numerous events, but also will be fully energized under the impetus of international competitions. From December 4th to 6th, 2025, the Snow Alliance League Asia Station event was held at the Yunzhi Ski Park in Chongli. More than 50 of the world's top freestyle skiers competed here. As the official partner of Snow Alliance, Tmall witnessed Gu Ailing and Zhou Xinchu's strong victories and the outstanding performances of Chinese skiers such as Li Fanghui, Cai Xuetong, and Wang Ziyang at the U Pool of Yunzhi.
From Beijing to Milan, Tmall has become a partner in the ice and snow industry, and the trillions of consumers have also become an important part of this booming industry chain.
03 Insights from the Ice and Snow Economy
The organizer of this event is the marketing IP of Tmall, "Tmall Super Hot Events". Besides the winter sports season, they have also collaborated with the Ananya Music Festival for marketing purposes, communicating with consumers at every popular event site.
The "Research Report on China's Snow and Ice Industry Development (2025)" indicates that the scale of the snow and ice industry is expected to reach 1,005.3 billion yuan in 2025, an increase of over three times compared to 270 billion yuan in 2015. The Winter Olympics achieved the goal of "enabling 300 million people to engage in winter sports", and its true value lies in transforming winter sports from a one-time event hotspot into a sustainable commercial blue ocean.
The driving logic of China's ice and snow economy is also quietly changing. It has completely shifted from event-driven during the Winter Olympics period to an endogenous growth model deeply integrated with brand innovation, cultural identification, and consumption experience. The role of Tmall has gradually evolved into an important facilitator that defines consumption trends and deeply meets the needs of niche groups.
Perhaps the annual grand event of Tmall Super Hot Affairs is just the beginning. A definite trend is that China's ice and snow economy has embarked on a transformation path from scale expansion to quality improvement, from event-driven to consumption-led, and from professional niche to popular fashion.
