The 8th National Public Ice and Snow Season kicked off in December in Hubei province, and will continue throughout the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics. [Photo provided to CHINA DAILY]
Public flocking to ice and snow activities as Beijing 2022 buzz builds
With the imminent arrival of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the Chinese public is taking to the ice and snow like never before.
Contributing to the grassroots boom is the 8th National Public Ice and Snow Season, which began in December and will continue throughout the Winter Olympics and Paralympics until April.
The torch relay for the 2022 Winter Olympics visits Changbaishan, Jilin province, on Dec 27. A number of cities across the nation have already welcomed the torch on its journey to Beijing. [Photo/XINHUA]
Hubei province was the focus of the opening day's activities, with a winter sports carnival staged at Wuhan Mass Fitness Center, and an ice and snow arts festival taking place at Optics Valley International Tennis Center, also in Wuhan.
Among the participants was local Tao Lingzhe, who, as the proud father of a budding young ice hockey player, has witnessed how winter sports are benefitting communities.
A student molds the 2022 Winter Olympics mascot, Bing Dwen Dwen, from clay at an elementary school in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, on Dec 22. [DING GENHOU/FOR CHINA DAILY]
"When my son first started to practice ice hockey, the number of ice rinks in Wuhan was so limited, and many of them were not very professional," Tao told Beijing News.
"But now the development has really taken off, and more and more kids are enjoying ice hockey and other winter sports."
Pupils in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, give curling a try－minus the ice－on Dec 28. [CAO JIANXIONG/FOR CHINA DAILY]
Former Team China figure skating coach Fu Dong is also enthused to see winter sports capturing the imaginations of young people.
"Now I just want to pass my skills and knowledge to the next generation. That's my small contribution to our nation's Winter Olympic sports growth," said Fu.
Students at a training base in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, parade the Beijing 2022 flag. The Games are inspiring the young generation to hit the ice and snow. [CHEN XIAODONG/CHINA DAILY]
"Right now some of the children I coach are very talented. And now they also enjoy huge support from their parents."
Meanwhile, in Hubei's Enshi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, and Shennongjia Forestry District, fun activities like snow dragon boat racing and tug-of-war on snow have been big hits with the locals.
Retired seniors play ice hockey in Shenyang, Liaoning province, on Dec 20. The sport is growing in popularity across all age groups in China. [Photo/CHINA NEWS SERVICE]
Shennongjia is also reaping the economic benefits. Hongping county, for instance, now has 153 so-called agri-tainment farmyards, which attract tourists and ice and snow sports enthusiasts. As well as providing jobs, revenue from these businesses totaled 86 million yuan ($13 million) in 2020.
"The number of tourists who come here each winter is growing. Annually, I can earn about 200,000 yuan. Thanks to winter sports, Hongping county now has good development," said Zhang Erkui, an owner of one of the farmyards.
A giant ice carving depicts the Olympic rings on Songhuajiang River in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Dec 29. The sculpture is part of the Songhuajiang Ice and Snow Carnival, which opened to the public for free on Dec 20. [Photo provided to CHINA DAILY]
Hubei is planning more winter sports activities over the coming months, including a national youth ice hockey tournament and a curling invitational event. Other parts of China are also getting in on the act－with the likes of Beijing, Ningxia Hui autonomous region and Gansu province all boasting fun-packed schedules to entice people onto the ice and snow.
