Shan Zhaojian: The First National Ski Champion and ‘Father of Chinese Skiing’

Reporter: Zhu Jingchao

Urumqi, Mar. 28th - While spring warms up southern China, Altay Prefecture, located in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is still covered with ice and snow. It is where ski enthusiasts at home and abroad enjoy the excitement of winter sports.

On the 19th of February 2023, the first winter sports competition in Xinjiang ended. Altay, the host of the main events, ranked first among the entire Xinjiang autonomous region with 102 medals in total, including 44 gold medals, 33 silver medals, and 25 bronze medals.

It is acknowledged worldwide today that Altay Prefecture was the origin of human skiing. But who was the first person to propose and confirm this view? And how did the global ski community agree on it? Recently, East Meets West interviewed Shan Zhaojian — the first national ski champion, ‘the father of Chinese skiing’, and the author of the ‘Altay Declaration’.

CNS Reporter: Altay (Xinjiang) is located in the very northwest of China. It grabs people’s attention for its ‘long snow period’, ‘heavy snowfall’, and ‘excellent snow quality’. So why did you come up with this bold view that ‘Altay is the origin of human skiing’?

Shan Zhaojian: I have been passionate about skiing since I was a child. Then, I was selected to the Chinese national ski training team at the age of 16 because of my outstanding performance and became part of the first group of ski athletes since the founding of the PRC. In 1957, I participated in China’s first ski competition, won the championship in the first event, and became the first ski champion in the history of the PRC.

In 1962, I decided to retire due to a foot fracture. After retirement, I worked as a trainer and winter sports manager, witnessing the development of Chinese ski sports. During those periods, all my efforts were aimed to figure out where ski sports originated from.

Altay was not part of my goals at the beginning. Instead, my objective was to take field visits to research, document, and compare different places. Among them, the trip to Altay impressed me the most. Altay is blessed with plenty of ice and snow resources, and it enjoys several essential conditions for ‘the origin of human skiing’, such as cold weather, heavy snowfall, easy access to materials for ski equipment manufacturing (plentiful forest and grassland), favourable living conditions for early human survival and living. On top of that, production and living in the Altay region highly relied on skiing.

In 1993, I discovered that locals made their own skis out of animal fur. Such techniques have continued until now and became the testimony of ancient skiing. Besides, there is also a local oral ballad called ‘The Hunter’s Long Tune’ traced back to the early days of human ski hunting in the region. Those pieces of evidence offered me a great source of encouragement. Thus, I put forward a bold hypothesis that ‘Altay may be the origin of human skiing’ in my book ‘How to Practice Skiing’.

Skis made of fur - A valuable heritage that has been invented and passed on from ancestors in Altay. Photo by Hu Junxiu

However, those hypotheses need to be examined and verified. On this ground, I travelled to almost every corner of the Altay region. It was not until 2005 when a petroglyph of ancient skiing and hunting was discovered from a cave in a Mongolian township of the city of Altay. The painting depicted people skiing and hunting together in the mass snowfield. According to the research, the petroglyph dates back to 12,000 years ago, which was known to be the world's earliest record of skiing. The finding was also the strongest evidence for me.

A petroglyph depicting Altay hunters skiing dating back to 10,000 years ago. Photo By Jin Wei

Archaeological researchers from The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum believe that petroglyphs that depict skiers equipped with huge boards were found on a small island in Northern Norway in 2,500 BC. In 1921, a 4,500-year-old ski was discovered in Jämtlands, Sweden. Both were strong proof that ski sports originated from Northern Europe. However, this historical evidence was still much later than the ancient people in the Altay region.

In January 2006, I held a symposium, drafted, and published the ‘Altay Declaration’ to prove that ancient people in Altay started skiing 10,000 years ago. In December 2006, the city of Altay and Chinese Ski Association announced that Altay was ‘the origin of human skiing’ in a press conference held in the Great Hall of the People. On 16th January 2007, the Altay city won the Guinness World Record for ‘the earliest origin of Human Skiing’. Thus, I finally proved the hypothesis that ‘Altay was the origin of human skiing’.

CNS Reporter: Do foreign experts and scholars agree with you after proposing such views?

Mr. Shan Zhaojian: For more than a century, members of the global ski community have been wondering, thinking, and hypothesizing when and where human skiing originated from. Some people argue that it originated from the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Some people say Siberia (Russia) was the origin, while some people state in the Altai Mountains in Central Asia. In general, there is no certain view on this topic.

By looking into the longitude and latitude, ‘Altay Declaration’ discovered the basic conditions that prove the origin of human skiing, and Altay is the only place that enjoys all conditions. It is located in the Altai mountains at 45°-47°N- the world's best latitude for skiing. The snowfall lasts 170-180 days annually with 210 days covered with snow in a year. The average snow thickness is more than 2 meters. It has the ‘powder snow’ that is highly suitable for ski sports, which is agreed by the ski community. In August 2018, the city of Altay was awarded the ‘the capital of snow’ national climate sign by the National Climate Center.

The earliest written description of skiing around the world came from the account of ancient skiers from Altay in ‘The Histories’ written by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. In his book, the Altay people, equipped with skis made of the hone of goat, were running in the snow. The skis made out of animal fur are a valuable heritage invented and passed on by the ancestors of Altay people.

In order to ensure that Altay's status as the origin of human skiing is recognized around the world, I went to different countries to deliver speeches, hold exhibitions, face questioning from scholars, and present my views and evidence to them.

People from all parts of Altay region participate in the ancient skiing competition on ancient fur skis at the Jiangjun Mountain ski resort in the suburbs of Altay. Photo by Liu Xin

In 2015, Chinese experts and the city of Altay organized the world's first international event with the largest scale and number of participants after years of preparation, which can be recorded in the history of world skiing culture. During the event, dozens of experts from 18 countries including Norway, Sweden, and Finland reached a consensus that Altay was the oldest skiing area of humans based on the research path from Chinese experts, on-site field visits, and research. The event reinforced the international status of Altay as the origin of human skiing. During the event, experts from China and around the world announced the "2015 Altay Declaration" in Chinese and English.

Nils Larsen, a US cultural researcher on ancient skiing, says that many places around the world have mountains and snow, but there is no place with such historical links like Altay, where one can leverage its brand as the "origin of ancient skiing" to promote modern skiing while combining ancient and modern skiing sports together. Ski enthusiasts will be hvery interested because of its uniqueness in the world.

Local residents go skiing with skis made of animal fur. Such traditions are practiced even today. Photo By Hu Junxiu

CNS Reporter: How can we leverage the brand of "the origin of ancient skiing" to develop winter sports in Xinjiang?

Shan Zhaojian: Xinjiang has rich natural resources. The Nanshan scenic spot, Urumqi, Kanas region, and the city of Altay are all endowed with beautiful landscapes comparable to Alpine snow mountains. Especially, the snow wilderness formed in Hemu village of Kanas region is the most beautiful in China. In the future, a rare scene will be created in Hemu village, comprising of unique snow, sky, clouds, mountains, forests, and waters.

Ski sports are a major part of the winter sports industry. There are many large areas in Xinjiang that are suitable for developing ski tourism. The Altai and Tianshan mountains are covered with large areas of snow. Also, some parts of southern Xinjiang are also suitable for carrying out ski sports among ordinary people. When looking at the bigger picture of ski tourism in Xinjiang, the Urumqi region has the most snow resorts with easy traffic access and sufficient tourist bases. But the future development focus should be on Altay. The city of Altay was the site of the petroglyph on skiing dating back to 10,000 years ago, the excavation site of "The Hunter's Long Tune," and the place where the "Altay Declaration" was announced. All of which are assets for developing the ski industry in the city of Altay. Therefore, the city shall develop a "ski resort town" with distinctive characteristics, which will be beneficial for the future development of high-level ski resorts along the Kanas-Hemu village area.

In January, 2023, ski enthusiasts were skiing at the Jiangjun Mountain International Ski resorts in the city of Altay. Photo by Ardak Baisihan

The future of the ski industry in Xinjiang is highly promising. At present, ski equipment manufacturers from famous brands have been pouring into Xinjiang. It is becoming an emerging trend that big companies begin to build large ski resorts, reflecting the rise of the ski industry in Xinjiang. It is believed that the winter sports industry in Xinjiang will enter into a new stage.

From the perspective of winter sport industry development in Xinjiang, it is necessary to support ski resorts that have favourable conditions and room for development. Talent development standardization should be accelerated, and travel times should be shortened. Besides, it is essential to incorporate colourful ethnic culture and other tourism resources into the ski industry. The government should play a full role in winter sports tourism development. Xinjiang's unique ice and snow resource should be transformed into tourism resources, so that Xinjiang's winter sport will be revitalized.

Guest Profile:

On February 2nd, 2022, Shan Zhaojian completed the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Torch Relay. Photo courtesy of the guest.

At 84 years old, Shan Zhaojian is known as the "father of Chinese skiing." He was the first generation of ski athletes and the first national champion in the PRC. Throughout his career, he has witnessed the development of China's ski sports as an athlete, trainer, and winter sports manager. He served as the director of the Ski Sport Division at the General Administration of Sport of China, the secretary of the Chinese Ski Association, and the director of the Technical Division in the Asian Biathlon Union.

Shan Zhaojian was the first person to initiate and organize the academic research "Altay is the origin of human skiing" and drafted the "Altay Declaration" to reinterpret and conclude many issues related to the origin of human skiing. This research has been widely recognized at home and abroad, enhancing the influence of Altay among the international snow sport community. In March 2018, Shan Zhaojian was the first person to receive the "Lifetime Achievement Award" in China and Asia from the International Ski History Association (ISHA).