Skiing offers cool route to prosperity

Yue Zhiyun, a farmer in a remote village of Zhangjiakou in northern China left home more than a decade ago to find work. At first, he struggled and was earning less than 9,000 yuan ($1,460) a year, barely enough to support his family.

Times changed, and with nine people working in his hotel, his annual income has increased a cool fiftyfold.

His route to prosperity? Well, in a way you could say it's been downhill. Yue has been able to take advantage of a surge in the popularity of skiing, and Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games has also greatly helped.