China's northernmost province embraces ice and snow sports craze

HARBIN -- Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, a two-time host of the Asian Winter Games and the cradle of many of China's winter Olympic champions, has long been the heartland of the country's ice and snow sports.

This winter, the province is in the grip of a sports fever, having launched a super league and organized thousands of related events across its cities.

Guan Na, a visitor from south China's Guangdong province, had her first taste of winter sports in Qitaihe city, Heilongjiang, a place renowned as a "city of Olympic champions" for nurturing multiple world and Olympic short track speed skating champions.

On Thursday, Qitaihe hosted a winter sports event where Guan tried out activities on a frozen lake for the first time. "It's my first time in the cold north, and my first time trying an ice slide. It's quite addictive," she said.

Even the extreme cold of Mohe city, China's northernmost urban center, temperatures that plunged to minus 40 degrees Celsius failed to dampen people's enthusiasm, with thousands flocking to an event held there this week.

Wang Xianyu, director of Heilongjiang's Provincial Sports Bureau, stated that this winter's initiatives are public-focused, and aimed at boosting mass participation. "We want youngsters and seniors alike to join, so we've incorporated many fun games," Wang explained.

Official figures show the province has built 3,000 public ice and snow sports facilities this season. As of January 12, these venues have already welcomed 240,000 people.

Alongside grassroots activities, the province is also hosting high-level national and international championships. These events serve a dual purpose: scouting athletic talent and fostering cooperation across regions.

Zhang Yu, director of the provincial sports bureau's general office who also oversees international sporting exchanges, highlighted the cultural dimension. "During many international competitions we host, athletes from abroad get to experience local customs between events, which helps deepen ties," Zhang said.

The "HIT-Cambridge-Oxford Cup" Ice Dragon Boat International Friendship Race, part of a China-UK youth cultural exchange week hosted by the Harbin Institute of Technology, concluded in Harbin on Tuesday.

For Oxford University student Jamie Baker, steering a dragon boat across the ice-covered Songhua River was an experience quite unlike his countless rows on Cambridge's River Cam.

"Practicing ice dragon boating in the extreme cold, where a traditional custom blends with a modern sport, is truly astonishing," Baker said, noting that the experience reshaped his perception of Harbin.

His Cambridge counterpart, Syed Umer Hasan, was effusive in his praise of the Harbin Ice-Snow World, the world's largest ice-and-snow theme park, now in its 27th edition. The park on the Songhua riverbank spans a record 1.2 million square meters.

"It's remarkable that a project of such scale can be completed in just over 20 days -- such power allows 'China speed' to become tangible to global visitors," he said.

Wang Xianyu also pointed out the positive impact on tourism. In Mudanjiang city, famous for its heavy snowfall, a hiking race through scenic, snow-covered forests doubled as a tour of local landscapes and cuisine.

"It reminded me of a movie filmed here. After the race, I decided to extend my stay to see more," said Wang Pei, a participant from Zhejiang province.

Official data shows that ice and snow competitions held in Heilongjiang province have generated hundreds of millions of yuan in tourism revenue.

"Alongside sporting competitions, Mudanjiang also hosts events like food festivals and distributes vouchers to participants to encourage local spending. The various winter sports events have raised Heilongjiang's profile and spurred its economic development," added Sun Li, Vice Mayor of Mudanjiang City.