2025 Asian Winter Games opens in China's ‘Ice City’

The 9th Asian Winter Games (AWG) have been opened in the Chinese city of Harbin this evening with a festive ceremony celebrating the city's rich ice and snow culture.

Around 8,000 spectators at the Harbin International Conference, Exhibition and Sports Center burst into cheers as Chinese President Xi Jinping officially declared the Games open in the presence of visiting dignitaries, including International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

The opening ceremony reached its climax when four torchbearers - two-time Olympic champion and short track speed skater Yang Yang, China's first male Winter Olympic gold medallist and freestyle skier Han Xiaopeng, Olympic race walk champion Wang Zhen, and Sochi Winter Olympics speed skating champion Zhang Hong - joined by children holding ice lanterns, lit the lilac-shaped cauldron at the opening ceremony's sub-venue, Harbin Ice and Snow World, the world's largest ice and snow theme park.

Running from 7th to 14th February, the Harbin Games, with the slogan ‘Dream of Winter, Love among Asia’, represents another major international winter sports event hosted by China following the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. It also marks the country's third time hosting the AWG, following Harbin 1996 and Changchun 2007.

A record 34 countries and regions are competing in Harbin 2025, surpassing the previous high set at the 8th AWG in Sapporo, Japan in 2017. Over 1,200 athletes are participating in ice events in Harbin and snow events in Yabuli, marking an increase from the previous record of 1,147 at the Sapporo AWG.

Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, First Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Chinese organisers for their joint efforts in bringing the Asian Winter Games back to the city after 29 years.

Fok stated "in just 18 months, you have transformed Harbin into a Winter Wonderland - a fantastic achievement.”

Fok also congratulated China's achievements in introducing over 300 million people to the joy of winter sports in recent years.

Liang Huiling, President of the Harbin AWG Organizing Committee and Governor of Heilongjiang Province, extended a warm welcome to the athletes and guests on behalf of the committee and the 30 million people of Heilongjiang, expressing her wishes for the athletes to "push their limits, showcase their talents, achieve their dreams and leave everlasting memories."

Gao Zhidan, President of the Harbin AWG Organising Committee and President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, added that China "has been committed to organizing a green, inclusive, open and clean Games that is streamlined, safe and splendid."

He went on to say “let us embrace Asia, where we are working hand in hand to open up broader prospects for common development, openness and integration, and build an Asian community with a shared future.”

Images: The opening ceremony of the the 9th Asian Winter Games in the Chinese city of Harbin. Credit: Xinhua.