Jikepulin Hemu, Xinjiang

The Hemu Jikepulin International Ski Resort in the Altai Mountains of northwest China is tucked up in the corner of Xinjiang abutting Mongolia, Siberia and Kazakhstan. Jikepulin is the best ski resort in China for powder hounds. Unlike many Chinese ski resorts which are rather naff to all but beginners who don’t mind mellow runs and fake snow, Jikepulin Hemu completely breaks the mold of skiing in China. It has beginner terrain although it’s better known as a freeride resort with decent pitched terrain and good snow, and as being the first ski resort in China to host a Freeride World Tour event.

Jikepulin Hemu Resort opened in 2022. The resort is only in its infancy, and whilst plans are afoot for further development, it’s already the biggest ski resort in China (for now considering the precipitous growth of the ski industry in China). Another major appeal of visiting the area is the historic village of Hemu which has lovely winter scenery, old wooden snow-covered buildings, horses running in the snow, and native Tuvans and Kazakhs that make for a distinctive cultural experience.

In addition to being a long way from Beijing culturally, Jikepulin Hemu and the capital are geographically distant (3,400km), and a long way apart in the snow stakes, especially relative to the indoor ski domes!

Pros and Cons of Jikepulin Hemu

Pros

• The Jikepulin Hemu Resort is large, especially by Chinese ski resort standards, and the scale of the mountains is impressive.
• Jikepulin is probably the snowiest ski resort in China, and the quality of the snow is typically light and dry.
• It’s the best Chinese ski resort for powder hounds and has great freeride terrain.
• The lift infrastructure is excellent, and other amenities are also well developed and modern.
• You can combine skiing or snowboarding with folk culture experiences and sightseeing.
• There are options for ski-in ski-out accommodation or you can stay in the village of Hemu if charm is more your thing.
• It’s pretty cool that you can see 4 countries from the top of the ski resort: Kazakhstan to the west; Mongolia to the east; Siberian Russia to the north; and naturally, China.

Cons

• Like other Xinjiang ski resorts, it’s somewhat difficult to be a fully independent traveller.
• At least in the short term, there are lots of ugly cranes that dominate the base landscape.

Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective

• Hemu Jikepulin has impressive and vast freeride terrain, although accessing it without a guide can be fraught with access restrictions. The situation is a moving feast as patrollers and local authorities develop better avalanche mitigation strategies and grapple with how to manage access to the terrain.
• The Jikepulin Resort is very remote and it can be a mission to get there, yet the upside is that the resort is not completely inundated with domestic visitors…yet! It’s busy with beginners, but it’s quiet relative to many other China ski resorts.
• The rapid development lends itself to an unattractive vibe of mass produced commercialism (of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder).

Jikepulin Ski and Snowboard Terrain

See the Jikepulin skiing and snowboarding page for information on the ski area and snow.

Where is Jikepulin Hemu?

Jikepulin International Ski Resort is located 6km east of Hemu Village and is in the Altai Mountains of Xinjiang, which is the crossroads of East Asia and Central Asia. It’s located in the Altay Prefecture/Region, 283km northwest of Altay City.
You can fly into Altay Airport (Aletai Xuedu Airport) from various cities in China, and then a driver will take you on the 5 to 6 hour trip on the likely ice-covered road to Hemu. A new highway is planned which should reduce the drive time. Alternatively you can fly into the Burquin Kanas Airport (from Ürümqi for example) which has a shorter drive to Hemu of about an hour depending on road conditions, although flights into Kanas are somewhat limited. You can look at flight routes here.

International visitors won’t able to self-drive to get there and around, so you’ll need to rely on private transfers. The roads are often hairy, and 4WD vehicles with snow tyres are mandatory.

Jikepulin Accommodation – On-Mountain

Ski-in ski-out accommodation is fast being built at the bases of the east and west areas of Jikepulin.

Holiday Inn Resort Kanas Hemu is a deluxe hotel at the Jikepulin Ski Resort at the base of the main gondola. It features premium guest rooms and suites, and quality facilities and services that you’d expect of a luxury IHG hotel. 

Hilton Altay Hemu is well located next to the West Area base and gondola, whih is another 5 star hotel with all the bells and whistles.

Conrad Altay Hemu is another Hilton premier luxury hotel. It offers very spacious and luxe guest rooms and suites. The Jikepulin Hemu slopes are just 200 metres from the hotel and concierge transportation is provided if you want added convenience.

Accommodation Listings

Hemu Village Accommodation

Staying off-mountain in nearby Hemu is another option, and it provides more charm and cultural immersion. You’ll want to book well in advance as accommodations can be in high demand. From Hemu, there are shuttles up to the resort with a few schedules each way per day.

There are two parts to Hemu.

The old village (Lǎocūn) has guesthouses in traditional wooden buildings. Many are beautiful old cabins that offer lots of charm but are mostly very rustic and many have shared bathrooms. Staying here offers convenience to walk to restaurants and scenic spots.

The new village (Xīncūn) isn’t as centrally located and about 20 minutes walk from the old village, so you might want to use hotel shuttles to get around. The upside is that the buildings are more modern, have decent insulation and soundproofing, and private bathrooms.

Sihan is an option for staying in the Hemu village. 

Ski Resort Facilities

The buildings at the base of the West Area and the East Area are more like massive shopping malls rather than day lodges. The centres house retail shops and equipment rentals, and you can even go ice skating inside. You can’t really, but someone didn’t think through appropriate flooring for people with ski boots on!

The base centres have large food courts where there is an abundance of choice for dining. Or further up the mountain are some eateries and at the summit, the Rhythm of Hemu Lodge offers amazing views.

Hemu Activities

Hemu is becoming progressively touristy yet you can still experience some of the unique culture of the village. Wander the streets to enjoy the postcard scenery of the snow-covered old buildings or see the town from the viewing platform. To get into the local Tuvan culture you might want to go horse riding, or a more leisurely activity is to ride on a horse drawn sleigh.

Or the Tuvans might show you the ancient art of fur skis with the old-school free heels and a long stick to help you turn.

You could join the Instaglammers at the Hemu Bridge, particularly around sunrise when it’s very photogenic. Dress very warmly!