Photo taken on February 3, 2026 shows Wulan Bie'ezhat teaches skiing skills to trainees.

Yeerjiang, the younger brother, started as a slope maintenance worker at the resort in 2018, rediscovering his childhood love for skiing. In 2022, he completed professional ski training and earned an instructor certificate, shifting smoothly into a coaching role. Skilled in both skiing and snowboarding, he designs customized lessons for visitors. During the ski season, he makes around 4,000 yuan per month. Together with income from herding and other activities, he now leads a comfortable and happy life. "Turning my passion into my work is truly rewarding," Yeerjiang shared.

Photo taken on February 4, 2026 shows Yeerjiang Bie'ezhat waxes the skis.

Photo taken on February 4, 2026 shows Wulan Bie'ezhat (right) exchanges skiing skills with a colleague.

Wulan, the elder brother, has an even longer history with the ski resort. He first joined in 2013 and has now spent 13 years there, having started as a complete beginner under the guidance of experienced coaches. Today, he focuses on teaching and can instruct up to 10 students a day. Seeing his students advance from hesitant starters to confident skiers brings him great satisfaction.

The brothers' development is a snapshot of how the resort fosters local talent. The other instructors at Yemili Ski Resort are local herders and farmers. The resort brings in professional trainers from Beijing and organizes regular external study trips to help coaches improve their skills. During the 2024-2025 ski season, the resort welcomed close to 80,000 visitors and earned more than 2 million yuan (about 288,184.44 U.S. dollars) in revenue. On New Year's Day alone, daily visits topped 20,000, highlighting the thriving potential of the ice and snow tourism sector.

Photo taken on February 3, 2026 shows tourists have fun at Yemili Ski Resort in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

In recent years, Emin County has been making the most of its ice and snow resources. It has introduced 27 winter activities under five major themes, creating a blended model that brings together winter sports, local culture, festive celebrations, and educational experiences. Through hosting snow and ice events and traditional cultural activities, the county has both enriched winter life for residents and created more job opportunities, helping raise local incomes. This approach promotes the transformation of the "cold resources" of ice and snow into the "hot power" of economic development.

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