Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, during 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 Xi officially declared the Games open in the presence of visiting dignitaries.
The opening ceremony reached its climax when torchbearers lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony’s sub-venue, Harbin Ice and Snow World, the world’s largest ice and snow theme park. Running from February 7 to 14, the Harbin Games represent another major international winter sports event hosted by China following the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.
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. Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, First Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Chinese organizers for bringing the Asian Winter Games back to the city after 29 years.
Gao Zhidan, President of the Harbin AWG Organizing Committee and President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, said in his speech that China has been committed to organizing a green, inclusive, open, and clean Games that is streamlined, safe, and splendid. 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.