As part of the Dual Olympic Culture Promotion Series of the Beijing Olympic City Sports Culture Festival, an ice and snow carnival celebrating the third anniversary of the Beijing 2022 Games and the Chinese New Year was held in Yanqing Olympic Park on 25 January ahead of the Chinese New Year, which falls on 29 January 2025. This event was co-hosted by the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre and the Publicity Department of the CPC Yanqing District Committee, with strong support of Beijing National Alpine Skiing Co., Ltd., aiming to further promote the dual Olympic culture and present the post-Games utilisation of the Winter Olympic legacy through winter sports experience activities. Ji Chuanpai, a member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre, and Ma Honghuan, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Yanqing District Committee and Director-General of the Publicity Department, delivered remarks at the event.

(A group photo of VIPs)

Ji Chuanpai said that this event is an important part of the celebrations for the third anniversary of the Beijing 2022 Games, and represents a practical action to engage 300 million people in winter sports, promote the integrated development of business, culture, tourism and sports in Beijing and advance the national public fitness initiative. In the future, the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre will fully leverage its advantages to support the higher-quality development of Beijing, the first and the only city in the world that has hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

(Ji Chuanpai gives a speech)

Ma Honghuan stated that since the end of the Beijing 2022 Games, in order to achieve the goal of “building an eco-friendly, happy and beautiful Winter Olympic town in all respects”, Yanqing District has boosted the ice and snow economy by turning the “cold resources” of ice and snow into the “hot power” of economic development. Active efforts have been made to transform Yanqing Zone into a favourite tourist destination and leverage the Olympic legacy to promote regional development and push the district’s high-quality development to a new stage. Yanqing District has hosted various ice and snow events and had no shortage of bright sports in ice and snow tourism, and winter sports have gained wide popularity in the district. The district has transformed itself into a beautiful Winter Olympic town. Mr. Ma sincerely invited all officials and friends from all walks of life to come to Yanqing to enjoy the ice and snow at the foot of the Great Wall and by the banks of the Gui River.

(Ma Honghuan gives a speech)

Yanqing is the first competition zone to achieve commercial operations after the Beijing 2022 Games. In the last three years, Yanqing District has achieved remarkable results in the development and utilisation of Winter Olympic venues and the development of the ice and snow culture and tourism. At the event, a person in charge of Yanqing Olympic Park introduced in detail the post-Games utilisation of the Winter Olympic legacy and presented the venues’ active efforts and fruitful results in hosting international and domestic ice and snow events and carrying out mass ice and snow events and activities.

In recent years, Yanqing District has upheld the concept that “ice and snow are invaluable assets” and vigorously developed the ice and snow economy, turning the “cold resources” of ice and snow into the “hot power” of economic development. At present, Yanqing District has ski resorts of some 1.3 million square metres, outdoor ice rinks of three hundred thousand square metres and indoor ice rinks of ninety thousand square metres, which receive more than four million tourists every year, including about three hundred thousand skiers.

Yanqing District continues to improve the ice and snow industry chain and promote the development of the ice and snow industry and is home to nearly 500 enterprises in sports technology, high-end sports equipment and other fields, covering the entire industry chain of “ice and snow plus internet” and equipment research and development. With Beijing Institute for International Olympic Studies under construction, Yanqing District is working to bring winter sports into campus and promote the integrated development of industries, schools and research institutes. The district has introduced youth winter sports to the Olympic venues and launched the “Snow Holiday” flagship event for primary and secondary schools, giving students the opportunity to enjoy skiing on Olympic tracks. At present, 86 percent of the students in the district have acquired basic skills in skiing and ice skating, and they have achieved impressive results in municipal competitions and above. Furthermore, Yanqing District has collaborated with Beijing and Hebei to carry out a variety of mass ice and snow events and activities, such as the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Mass Skiing Friendly Competition and the Mass Ice and Snow Beijing Open, inspiring the general public to embrace winter sports.

In addition to the complete industry chain and diverse ice and snow events, Yanqing Olympic Park has achieved “year-round operations” of the Winter Olympic venues through precise planning and professional operations. In winter, the Winter Olympic tracks of the National Alpine Ski Centre are open to winter sports enthusiasts. In other seasons, it offers a series of featured programmes such as alpine tackles, Mirror of Haituo Valley, Songshan Reserve study tours and the Olympic themed family hotel suites or rooms, in an effort to build a distinctive ice and snow tourism brand. In addition, Yanqing District makes full use of the Winter Olympic venues such as the National Sliding Centre and the National Alpine Skiing Centre and has successfully hosted a number of international and domestic ice and snow events, including the IBSF Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation World Cup and the Snowboard Alpine World Cup. These events have attracted a number of leading ice and snow athletes and tourists. Additionally, the district has built 5G smart ski resorts and tourist amenities such as hot springs and family ski apartments, making event tourism a new trend in the district’s all-in-one tourism landscape.

While promoting the development of the ice and snow industry, Yanqing District is committed to building distinctive ice and snow tourism brands. Leveraging its three “calling cards” of the Great Wall, the Winter Olympics and the International Horticultural Exhibition, the district has boosted ice and snow tourism in Beijing Expo Park, Yeya Lake and other scenic areas and created new scenarios for ice and snow consumption, focusing on the flagship event of the Ice and Snow Season. The 39th Longqing Gorge Ice Lantern Carnival has opened, featuring trendy scenes such as Ice Wukong and Pop Mart and mountain projection shows. Ice and snow parks such as Yudu Mountain and Yunpu Valley have launched inventive offerings to attract tourists in the ice and snow season.

This carnival is an important part of the Dual Olympic Culture Promotion Series of the Beijing Olympic City Sports Culture Festival. On the day, the fun-filled Toboggan Experience Competition took place in the Snow Park of Yanqing Olympic Park. Young members from the National Alpine Skiing Centre participated in the competition, showing off their speed and passion. They glided swiftly as if flying or skilfully avoided obstacles. Each impressive move and masterful technique drew enthusiastic applause and cheers from the spectators, adding joy and vitality to the carnival.

(Children participate in the carnival)

(A photo taken at the carnival)

(A photo taken at the carnival)

(A group photo of winners and VIPs)

Following the conclusion of the carnival, Yanqing Olympic Park will remain a popular place for both locals and visitors to unwind and have fun with its unique dual Olympic charm. Bao Jie, deputy head of the Yanqing District Culture and Tourism Bureau, said that in the future, Yanqing District will continuously tap into its abundant and high-quality ice and snow resources to develop new products and upgrade visitor experiences according to the arrangements for boosting consumption made in the report on the work of the municipal government, and strive to develop a world-class ski resort and help establish the city as a world-renowned tourist destination.

Several officials from Yanqing District briefed on the situation of the district and promoted relevant projects. These officials included Liu Qianxun, Director of the Yanqing District Sports Bureau; Lang Fengjie, a member of the Department Work Committee of the Publicity Department of the CPC Yanqing District Committee and Director of the Yanqing District Civility Promotion Centre; Gao Linlin, Deputy Party Secretary and head of Zhangshanying Town, Yanqing District; Bao Jie, Deputy Director of the Yanqing District Culture and Tourism Bureau; Zhang Xuan, Deputy Director of the Yanqing District Commerce Bureau of Yanqing District; Hou Xiaoying, deputy head of Zhangshanying Town; and Yang Liyuan of Yanqing Olympic Park. Also present at the event were Wang Cheng, Director of the Communications Department of the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre, and Qi Xuan, Deputy Director of the Communications Department.