Winter Olympics in 'Alps of Asia'

A year from now, these slopes of the Alpensia Ski Resort will be in the spotlight as athletes gather for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Described as the "Alps of Asia", the ski resort will host several events from Feb 9 to 25 next year, including the Games' opening and closing ceremonies.

Pyeongchang, about 180km east of Seoul, may not be well known outside sporting circles. But organisers believe that the city, nicknamed Happy 700, has much to offer visitors, including its cuisine.

Its nickname comes from the fact that most of Pyeongchang is mountainous, with an average elevation of 700m above sea level.

"Happy" alludes to the local belief that life is just better there.

The upcoming Winter Olympics will also kick off the rare coincidence of East Asia hosting three Olympics in a row, with the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 03, 2017, with the headline Winter Olympics in 'Alps of Asia'. Subscribe