The 9th Asian Winter Games officially kicked off in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, igniting the cauldron at the grand opening ceremony on Friday night.
Children holding ice lanterns were joined by China's esteemed Winter Olympic champions, including short track speed skater Yang Yang, freestyle skier Han Xiaopeng, race walk champion Wang Zhen, and 2014 speed skating champion Zhang Hong. Together, they lit the cauldron, designed in the shape of a blooming lilac flower, at the Harbin Ice-Snow World—the world's largest ice-and-snow theme park.
The flame for the Games was first lit at Sun Island Scenic Area in Harbin on January 20. The torch relay featured 120 torchbearers who traversed key city landmarks, including the historic Harbin Central Street and the picturesque Songhua River.
During the athletes' parade, participating delegations entered in alphabetical order, with the host nation appearing last. Star speed skater Ning Zhongyan and young freeskier Liu Mengting proudly carried the flag for China, symbolizing the nation's commitment to winter sports excellence.
Reference(s):
Harbin hosts Asian Winter Games for second time after 29 years
cgtn.com
