A moment in time: Gliding smoothly on wheels

In the early 1980s, skating was seen more as a social activity for young people. Then, you put on glitzy attire, and strapped on your roller skates, and went on to the rink with a friend, like in the picture from 1982 taken in Shaoguan, in Guangdong province. Now, children learn skating under the guidance of a coach, as in this picture taken in July 2016 in Bozhou, in Anhui province. Nowadays, people tend to spend a lot on the skating kits and training. This change is rooted in China's economic progress and its successful bid for the 2020 Winter Olympics. The upgrading of urban infrastructure for winter sports is also contributing to the ongoing boom, which looks set to continue.