ZHANGJIAKOU, China, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The 18th China Chongli International Skiing Festival concluded on Saturday evening at Fulong ski resort in Chongli district, Zhangjiakou city.

The 101-day skiing festival has featured a total of 138 ice and snow sports events, and received nearly 2.52 million tourists for an annual increase of three percent, including more than 920,000 skiing tourists for an annual increase of 23 percent.

In January 2019, Chongli was selected by New York Times as one of the "52 places to travel to in 2019" for its booming ski industry.

"This summer, the second outdoor sports festival will be held to further promote the sports and leisure industry in Chongli after the skiing festival," said Yin Zhigang, deputy chief of Chongli district government.

Chongli, a district of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province, situated 200 kilometers northwest of Beijing, has become a popular skiing destination as it will host most of the skiing events at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.