By sportswriter He Leijing
BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Once an obscure and impoverished county in north China's Hebei Province, Chongli is now dubbed the "Davos of the East" thanks to the influence of the coming 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
The town, which will host six disciplines during the 2022 Games, has seven large ski resorts and received 2.81 million tourists during the 2018-2019 snow season.
In May 2019, Chongli was officially lifted out of poverty. Around 30,000 of its 126,000 population are now employed by ski resorts or related companies and organizations ahead of the Games.
Through the stories of ordinary citizens in Chongli, it is possible to see what Beijing 2022 has brought to this small town.
SKI RESORT STAFF
Ren Xiaoqiang, an operations manager at Thaiwoo Ski Resort in Chongli, always swells with pride when he finds the resorts in his hometown packed with tourists.
"I feel like my life has been made more meaningful because of the upcoming Beijing 2022," says Ren. "The Winter Olympics has brought Chongli onto the world stage."
Ren studied film and television during his college years in southwest China, and when he graduated in 2015, he wavered over whether to pursue his dreams in big cities or return to Chongli.
That same year, Beijing and Zhangjiakou were awarded hosting rights for the 2022 Winter Olympics, giving Ren the courage to seek a job back home because he believed the previously underdeveloped county was bound to prosper.
Now, the facilities at Chongli's ski resorts are no longer rudimentary, and Ren has expanded the ski business to all four seasons by holding various outdoor events. "With high-speed railway links, wider streets and more high buildings, life is getting much better here," he said.
DELIVERY COURIER
Feng Xiuping, a 52-year-old courier, is full of vim and vigor as she rides her electric bicycle every day, delivering packages and newspapers across Chongli.
"I love this job. It gives me a chance to go everywhere in the district and witness all the changes," Feng says.
Sometimes Feng has to deliver 200 packages a day, including letters, parcels and money orders. She feels incredibly fulfilled, as she knows that her busy schedule is evidence of how the formerly poverty-stricken village has flourished from the 2022 Winter Olympics.
"Nowadays many old people have also learned to shop online. It's a great change," Feng says. "Being a courier requires physical strength, but I am happy to take on the challenge."
RESTAURANT OWNER
Li Yanlin, 55, opened a small restaurant mainly serving lamb hotpot in Chongli in 2001, allowing the town's few tourists to savor some hospitality and coziness during the bitterly cold winter months.
"Our business used to be rather slow until the success in bidding for Beijing 2022 made it brisk," says Li, whose revenue has risen fivefold over the last five years.
Li's restaurant has adjusted to growing number of visitors pouring into Chongli by offering a wide variety of dishes, as well as reducing the use of local dialects.
"A lot of customers are influenced by the Winter Olympics and come here to ski, and among them are many international friends," Li says.
VILLAGER
Di Jiang was born and raised in Chongli's Huosutai Village. Once a farmer, his life changed when a tree planting project began in 2018 ahead of the Winter Olympics. Di then became one of three foresters in the village.
"Back then, the harsh natural conditions were not suitable for developing agriculture, and over 40 percent of households were affected by poverty," the 67-year-old says. "Through the afforestation project, our village removed its poverty label in 2019."
"Rows of pines and spruces are now standing at the mountainsides. It's such a nice job to plant trees, as the village is greener and our lives are better." Enditem
