Freezing, but fun

Winter can be tough in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. For some people, the freezing temperatures and heavy snowfalls mean it's just a time to be endured, but for those flocking to sports venues across the region, child-ren especially, winter isn't long enough.

In Altay, in the north of the region, primary and middle school students have been taking skiing lessons as part of their winter physical education classes for the past three years.

On a sunny afternoon in December, Maliya Hurman, a teacher at the No 3 Middle School, was checking on students from two classes who were learning to ski at the Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort, 15 minutes' drive from the city center.