HARBIN, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The 9th Asian Winter Games opened in Harbin on Friday night during a festive ceremony highlighting the city's ice and snow culture.
Running from February 7 to 14, 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 Asian Winter Games, following Harbin 1996 and Changchun 2007.
Artists perform prior to the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Yichen)
Artists perform prior to the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
Artists prepare prior to the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Yanan)
Artists perform prior to the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)
Artists perform prior to the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)
Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)
Delegation of Uzbekistan parade during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)
A child performs during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)
Flagbearers carry the Chinese national flag into the stadium during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)
Delegation of South Korea parade during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Yichen)
Delegation of China parade during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)
Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Photo by Yuan Man/Xinhua)
Members of the delegation of China parade during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)
Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Yichen)
Chinese athlete Wu Dajing and Binbin, mascot of the 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025, react with spectators during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)
Torch bearer Han Xiaopeng ® passes the flame to Wang Zhen at the Harbin Ice and Snow World Park during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
Torch bearer Zhang Hong lights the cauldron at the Harbin Ice and Snow World Park during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)
Delegation of Turkmenistan parade during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)
This photo taken on Feb. 7, 2025 shows the Harbin Ice and Snow World Park during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)
Fireworks explode at the Harbin Ice and Snow World Park during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)
Zhang Chunhui (3rd L) and Chen Wenhong (2nd R), representatives of judges, take the oath during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)
Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)
Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)
Delegation of Qatar parade during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)
Delegation of China's Hong Kong parade during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)
Flagbearers carry the Chinese national flag into the stadium during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
The Chinese national flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)■
