a side of china you haven't seen as we journey to ski country in china's north with tony birthley of al jazeera english. >>> the bleak landscape of china close to cato where temperatures can decline to 40 degrees centigrade, a simple trip can be an adventure. amid the sharp rural life, this is the ski resort four hours north of beijing. it's part of a revolution going on in the snow. although this is one of 300 ski stations, there are 20 that meet international standards. but china isn't focusing on upgrading the industry to make it a serious competitor to the ski superpowers of japan and south korea. >> china's ski industry rapidly expanded, more resorts, hotels, and more revenue. and now china has its sights set on staging the winter olympics that may not happen for a few years. but as you saw the summer olympics in 2008, they know how to put on a good show. hundreds of millions of dollars are being pumped in to the resorts to bring them up to internal international standards and create a springboard for their ambitions. >> it's football in the future. we're growing with the market