Teaching a winter training camp in China has been a routine for Oba Junji, a Japanese alpine ski coach, for the past eight years.

Oba, who is also an official with the Ski Association of Japan, led more than 200 young Japanese skiers to Chongli in November to begin training. He has done so since 2007, when he first came to the mountainous county in Hebei province for the inaugural International Ski Federation ranking race.

The long ski season in Chongli, usually lasting from November to April, as well as versatile resort choices, has attracted a growing number of international skiers like Oba's contingent from neighboring counties for early-season training.