SHENZHEN: In subtropical Shenzhen, hundreds of visitors ski down artificial slopes at the massive Qianhai Snow World, which is kept at a year-round temperature of -6°C.

At 100,000 sq m – about the size of 15 football fields – the world’s largest indoor ski centre is the southern Chinese city’s latest attempt to reinvent itself as a tourism destination.

The facility, which costs about US$4.2 million, features five professional slopes, ski lifts and snow play zones.

It even attracts visitors from neighbouring Hong Kong and Macau. For some, it is a novelty.

“You can drive to this (ski arena) in Shenzhen and it's quite fast, taking about an hour,” said one Hong Kong customer, who was visiting during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.

For the Chinese government, the facility is more than a

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