In 2007, at just 10 years old, Gao Tingyu first stepped onto the Speed Skating Oval at the Heilongjiang Ice Training Center in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province. He was immediately impressed by the indoor international-standard 400-meter track.

Prior to this, Gao had only ever trained on outdoor rinks in his hometown of Yichun, where tracks were typically only 100 to 200 meters long. In winter, they would skate on a track etched into a coal slag-covered field that had frozen over.

When the Asian Winter Games were last held in Heilongjiang provincial capital of Harbin in 1996, Han Cong — then just a toddler — had no idea that his hometown would again host the event, and that he would figure so prominently in that encore.

Though the 32-year-old, Beijing Winter Olympics gold medalist was not competing, his presence was still felt. Han served as a guardian of the national flag during the opening ceremony, watched the Chinese team competing at short-track speed skating events, and participated in a range of activities promoting sportsmanship.

Reflecting on his journey, Han shared at Harbin Ice and Snow World: "From the ice rinks of my hometown to Olympic arenas, my love for the sport has always driven me to face challenges, embrace adversity and chase my dreams."

Dalian Bingshan Group provided top-quality refrigeration equipment and high-standard technical services for three ice sports venues during the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, from Feb 7 to 14.

"We have continuously iterated and upgraded equipment like ice-making units. Compared to serving the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, our products have seen significant improvements in compactness, energy efficiency and control systems," stated Li Shuang, an expert from Bingshan Group, which is based in Dalian, Liaoning province.

HARBIN - Premier Li Qiang on Saturday stressed stepping up the development of winter sports and related industries to create new opportunities for service consumption and a new growth driver for the economy.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during his inspection tour to northeast China's Heilongjiang province.

With Asia's growing presence on the ice and snow celebrated and the host's organizational expertise applauded again, the 9th Asian Winter Games ended on Friday in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.

Premier Li Qiang and foreign dignitaries including Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown and Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene attended the closing ceremony.

HARBIN -- Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, first vice-president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), declared the 9th Asian Winter Games closed at the Harbin International Conference, Exhibition and Sports Center on Friday night.

"This is truly a unique and charming part of China and the world - not only for the beauty of the city and the landscape but also for the warmth and friendliness of the local people," Fok said in his speech during the closing ceremony.

HARBIN -- World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Vice President Yang Yang and Director General Olivier Niggli spoke highly of the Harbin Asian Winter Games' anti-doping education, particularly for young athletes, ahead of the tournament's closure on Friday night.

The Games' anti-doping education area has been open for visitors since February 6, and was designed to help athletes learn about anti-doping in a relaxed atmosphere.

"The anti-doping education area was gorgeous and attractive to young athletes. We will learn from the experience in Harbin and promote the education projects of WADA," said Yang.

With Asia's growing presence on ice and snow celebrated, and the host's organizational expertise applauded again, the Harbin Asian Winter Games will go down in history as a game-changer on all fronts.

Three years after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics reshaped the winter sports landscape in China, the successful hosting of the 9th Winter Asiad in the Heilongjiang provincial capital has built on that legacy, further expanding the thrills and chills into uncharted territories — from Asia's hot and humid southeastern islands to its dry and sizzling deserts in the west.

Winter sports may be synonymous with snowcapped mountains and icy lakes, but the passion felt for them knows no boundaries — not even the blistering deserts of Saudi Arabia or the humid tropics of Cambodia, both of which made their Asian Winter Games debut at this year's tournament in Harbin.

After four curling matches in Harbin, the Saudi Arabian team, which consists of five male players with an average age of over 45, sits fourth among six teams. For veteran curler Hussain Hagawi, the journey to Harbin is more about learning and building a winter sports legacy from the ground up.

An overweight, middle-aged man in Switzerland, with little athletic prowess, decided to pursue the seemingly impossible goal of becoming an Olympian.

It sounds like the plot of a Hollywood comedy, yet, the 42-year-old entrepreneur Alan Frei is on the verge of making it happen for real.

The Harbin Asian Winter Games have been the best Winter Asiad yet, and, with its natural environment, the host city has the potential to become a global winter tourism hub, said Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, first vice-president of the Olympic Council of Asia, in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

Harbin was designated as the host city for the continental sporting gala on July 8, 2023, leaving the city with just 18 months to prepare for the event — a considerably shorter time frame than the usual several years of preparation needed for major international sporting events.

It was a family affair at the Harbin Pingfang District Curling Arena, as many teams featured players related by blood.

Hu Pianpian and Chan Ka, players from Hong Kong, China, are mother and daughter. The Qatar women's team included two pairs of sisters, while brothers Marc and Enrico Pfister represented the Philippines in the men's curling competition.

As a golden dragon, guided by dancers, weaved and soared through the press center at Yabuli, the ski resort cluster hosting the snow sports at the ongoing 9th Asian Winter Games on Wednesday afternoon, the celebratory atmosphere of Lantern Festival was instantly ignited.

Meanwhile, two lively lions entertained and playfully interacted with the audience, drawing cheers and applause.

Although for the first time ever Xie Yu was unable to spend the Spring Festival holiday with her parents, she nonetheless considered it to be the most memorable Spring Festival of her life.

The 21-year-old student is one of the 1,310 volunteers from the Harbin Institute of Technology at the ongoing 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province.

"When I got the news that volunteers were being selected for the Games, I signed up immediately, due to my love for winter sports and a strong sense of social responsibility," she said. "I was appointed to the position of audience guide for the opening and closing ceremonies, so I had to stay in Harbin for training and rehearsals instead of returning to my home in Hebei province."

In the snow-covered winter, Harbin, capital city of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, attracts visitors from across the world with its charming ice and snow landscapes.

However, the charm of the Ice City lies not only in its natural beauty, but also in its rich and diverse, uniquely characteristic, culinary culture.

Premier Li Qiang will attend the closing ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Friday, and will hold a welcoming banquet and bilateral events for foreign leaders attending the Games.

Li will meet separately with Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown and Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene in Harbin, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular news conference on Thursday.

The seven-day visit by the Cook Islands prime minister, which began on Monday, also took him to Shanghai and Shandong province, Guo said.

China won gold, South Korea silver and Kazakhstan bronze after the biathlon women's 4x6km relay match at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Yabuli, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Feb 13, 2025.

This year's Lantern Festival coincided with the Asian Winter Games, which made this event a blend of intangible cultural heritages and sporting spirits.

Media reporters, staff members, and volunteers came together to partake in festive activities at Yabuli Media Center on Feb 12, 2025. They wrote the Chinese character fu (blessing), crafted lanterns, engaged in lantern riddle guessing, and wrapped yuanxiao (sweet glutinous rice balls).

With the grand opening and subsequent thrilling competitions of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, capturing the world's attention, alongside the city's magnificent ice sculptures and snowy scenery, the region's rich and diverse intangible cultural heritage has also found its way into the spotlight.

During the Games, Harbin's intangible cultural heritage projects have become a major highlight, demonstrating the unique charm of Chinese traditional culture to athletes and spectators from various Asian countries.

Not another Muay Thai fighter, not another golfer, not an emerging sepak takraw talent — it's a virtually unknown pioneer in an unexpected sport that has got the Thai nation on its feet cheering.

All of a sudden, and out of nowhere, Thai skier Paul Henri Vieuxtemps rocked Asian winter sports on its heels, after the French-born freeskier surprisingly landed on the podium at the Harbin Asian Winter Games — the first Thai ever to do so in the continental winter sports gala's 39-year history.