Twenty years ago, Andrea Coatti left his home in Italy for the quiet mountain town of Chongli in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, despite having never heard of it. He spent his time there helping build and maintain ski resorts, earning the local nickname Yibu, or "one step".

He spent most of his time there in the following years and eventually worked on a venue for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. With this Olympic credential on its resume, the town has taken on an increasing number of international and domestic projects in recent years.

Chongli has transformed into a world-class ski destination, connected to Beijing by high-speed rail and filled with young skiers from across the globe.