The Great White Hope.docVIP

The Great White Hope 　　Chongli， a small county in north China that has remained in obscurity for ages， became destined for international fame from the moment Thomas Bach， President of the International Olympic Committee （IOC）， announced on July 31 that Beijing had won the bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics. 　　The Chinese capital Beijing will co-host the event with Zhangjiakou， a city about 200 km to its northwest. According to the bid， most snow events will be held in Chongli in Zhangjiakou. So the county with a population of around 120，000 is now gearing up for the grand event in seven years’ time. 　　“Chongli has already changed a lot. With many stylish hotels and shops， some parts of it look like Hong Kong，” said Wang Xiaoxuan， a young mother from Chongli who lives in Beijing. 　　Wang has just returned to Beijing from a trip to her hometown. She likes to go back there in summer with her son because of its cool climate. 　　Tucked in among mountains towering around 1，500 meters to 2，000 meters above sea level， Chongli has weather distinct from that of Beijing. “In winter， the lowest temperature is often below minus 20 degrees Celsius， and in summer， the daily highest temperature is around 20 degrees，” Wang said. 　　Chongli has long been economically underdeveloped. Low summer temperatures and the hilly terrain make it unsuitable for many crops， and low income from agriculture has driven many young people to seek jobs in nearby Beijing and Tianjin. 　　But in recent years， the development of the local snow industry and the prospect of hosting the Winter Olympics have been luring some natives back. 　　Chongli has a cluster of ski resorts， drawing skiers from home and abroad. Wang is confident the successful Olympic bid will boost the local economy. 　　Now Beijingers are not only traveling to Chongli frequently， some have also bought properties there. “After Beijing was confirmed as the winner， Chongli’s housing prices shot up 1，000 yuan （$161） per square meter ove