After hosting the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, China is set to welcome back the continent’s top winter athletes for the ninth Asian Winter Games.
Returning to Harbin after nearly three decades, the Games will be larger than ever, featuring a record of 34 participating countries and regions, with 1,275 athletes—775 men and 520 women. Harbin previously hosted the third Asian Winter Games in 1996.
The opening ceremony of Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025 will be on February 7 at Harbin International Convention, Exhibition, and Sports Centre. The venue will also host the closing ceremony on February 14.
The successful hosting of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has propelled China’s winter sports industry to new heights. Once a niche activity, winter sports have now gained widespread popularity, particularly among young people. In addition, China has become an increasingly prominent host of international winter sports events, further fueling the growth of the sector.
According to the China Ice and Snow Industry Development Research Report (2024), the winter sports industry in China grew from 270 billion yuan in 2015 to an estimated 970 billion yuan in 2024. Projections expect it to exceed one trillion yuan by 2025.
As the Asian Winter Games arrive in Harbin, China expects the number of winter tourism visitors to surpass 500 million during the 2024-2025 season, driving a boom in ice and snow cultural tourism.
Written by Chen wang, additional reporting by CNS and International Olympic Committee.
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