PM Najib hails Genting's efforts to develop Zhangjiakou ski facilities for Winter Olympics

BEIJING: Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has lauded Malaysia's Genting Resort Secret Garden for developing Zhangjiakou as a five-star eco-tourism leisure and health resort and upgrading its ski facilities into world-class amenities for the Winter Olympics 2022.

The Prime Minister expressed pride that Genting Resort Secret Garden has been given the responsibility to build 10,000 rooms in preparation for the Winter Olympics 2022 and also that íts snow park has been chosen as the freestyle venue.

"The involvement of a Malaysian company in the Olympics will raise the country's international stature," he told Malaysian journalists after attending a briefing on the company's project in Zhangjiakou here on Friday.

Founder and Chairman of the company, Datuk Lim Chee Wah, and the master planner and architect of the project, Lim Keong Wee, briefied the prime minister on the latest developments in the project.

Also present was Hebei Provincial Governor Zhang Qingwei.

Zhangjiakou, a primarily mountainous county in northern Hebei about three hours' drive from here, has a cold climate with long, bitter winters and mild summers.

Najib said he had informed China's President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang that the Malaysian government supports Genting Resort Secret Garden's investment in Zhangjiakou in ensuring that the company will be able to continue its project smoothly.

He said he was informed that a high speed rail (HSR) will be built between Beijing and Zhangjiakou for better connectivity.

Genting Resort Secret Garden, which operates one of China's leading all-season mountain resorts, in a press statement said the company's total investment within a 100²km area exceeds 18 million RMB (RM11 million).

It said once fully developed, the mountain resort will boast 88 slopes totalling more than 70km in length and 22 high-quality European engineered lifts with a total length of 30km.

"Upon completion, it will become a multifunctional five-star eco-tourism leisure and health resort, with annual capacity of 1.8 million visitors," it said.

It said with Beijing winning the bid for the Winter Olympics 2022, Genting Snow Park has been selected as the venue for the freestyle skiing and snowboarding events.

Events taking place in the Zhangjiakou zone will offer 50 gold medals out of the total of 96 gold medals up for grabs.

The resort has also been selected as the official venue for the 2021 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships. — Bernama