Changchun's skiing success looks set to snowball

Athletes enjoy their sport against the beautiful backdrop of magnificent ice sculptures. Photos provided to China Daily

"We create a platform for our athletes to compete with international athletes on our soil," Chen said.

She said the Vasaloppet has captured local people's interest in ski sports and has made skiing a popular sport in Changchun.

The festival has become a fixture for tourists from China and abroad who enjoy ice and snow events, Chen said.

Ice and snow have contributed to regional economic growth as well. Sweden receives about $7 billion income each year with more than 15 million international sports enthusiasts visiting the country to enjoy the snow.

"Our city can make it too," Chen added.

However, the festival is not just about income. Vasaloppet is also encouraging local people to pursue a healthier lifestyle.

Chen said: "In Changchun, we use the term maodong to describe an old popular lifestyle, which means that people preferred to stay indoors, avoiding the freezing temperatures.

"However, the ski festival showed people another lifestyle, involving sports and fresh air, and makes people come out of their homes and take exercise."

Bjorn Lind, general manager of Nordic Ways Vasa Management Ltd and a former winter Olympic champion, agreed.

"It is a healthy lifestyle, worth government investment," Lind said, adding that the health benefits can reduce health problems.

Lind said he has now seen people in Changchun start to join in sports and other activities.

"People start to do that and they can feel it doing them good," he added.