Handicrafts made by students of the Dianchang Road Primary School in Beijing's Shijingshan district. Photo: Courtesy of the Xue Dong

Carrying ski poles and skis or teaming up with classmates for a curling match is now part of the everyday exercise for the more than 300 students at the Dianchang Road Primary School in Beijing's Shijingshan district. 

The school, which is located in Beijing's first Olympic Winter Games community - Gaojinglu - has recently become even more geared toward getting students involved in winter sports such as skiing, ice hockey and curling to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Winter Games, which are set to be held in Beijing in February 2022. 

"We are all counting down every day to the arrival of the Olympic Winter Games," Xue, the school's principal, told the Global Times, on Friday. 

At the school's front gate is a board marking the time left, so every student at the school gets a chance to count down the days to the Games' opening in 2022. 

Behind the school's excitement is a government goal set in early 2015 aimed at introducing winter sports to primary students in order to diversify PE classes that traditionally only focus on "running, jumping and throwing" as well as increase younger generations' passion for winter sports.

"We create an environment for them to 'get a feel for' these rather unfamiliar winter sports. They may or may not end up loving them when grow up, but I need to seek out new changes for my students to open up a window for them as much as I can," Xue, a soccer-player-turned-educator, told the Global Times.  

"My favorite sport is cross-country skiing. I love the excitement that skiing brings me. I'm not afraid of falling down because my coach said she did too," Lu Jianing, a 10-year-old girl who plans to take part in some junior ski competitions in 2021, told the Global Times. 

The undertaking to bring winter sports into the lives of students has posed some challenges due to limited facilities, but the school has found some methods to cope, such as practicing ice and snow sports on "dry land." 

From 7:10 to 7:50 am and 4:00 to 4:30 pm, the playground is organized into different areas for students to practice skiing, running lanes and ice hockey. The students are fully equipped just as they would be if they were taking part in the events for real. 

Lucky for students who are fond of curling, an actual rink was built through local donation at the back of the school. It opens every day for students to use it even though maintenance has been pricey. 

The Dianchang Road Primary School is not the only institution to take part in this national undertaking, which was introduced by the General Administration of Sport of China in 2018 to get 300 million people involved in winter sports. 

The Jingyuan Primary School, also located in the Shijingshan district, has been working hard to get children involved in winter sports. It has an official ice hockey team and a figure skating team made up of 50 students in total. Every Friday afternoon, they head to the ice center in the district to receive professional training. 

"We have to start with kids if we want to fulfill the 300 million people on ice goal. Children can accept things quicker than adults, and they can influence adults, allowing them to see the beauty of ice-snow culture," Ma, a coach at the Jingyuan school, told the Global Times. 

In addition to just practicing these sports, the school also wants students to learn about the culture of the Olympic Games, including its spirit and symbolism. 

A room at the end of a corridor in the Dianchang Road Primary School's has become a special "Winter Olympics museum" full of handicrafts art made by students based on their interpretation of the Games. 

"Practicing sports is a type of 'setback' education, in which we want our kids to learn that winning and losing are a natural part of life," said Ma. 

Handicrafts made by students of the Dianchang Road Primary School in Beijing's Shijingshan district. Photo: Courtesy of the Xue Dong

Carrying ski poles and skis or teaming up with classmates for a curling match is now part of the everyday exercise for the more than 300 students at the Dianchang Road Primary School in Beijing's Shijingshan district. 

The school, which is located in Beijing's first Olympic Winter Games community - Gaojinglu - has recently become even more geared toward getting students involved in winter sports such as skiing, ice hockey and curling to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Winter Games, which are set to be held in Beijing in February 2022. 

"We are all counting down every day to the arrival of the Olympic Winter Games," Xue, the school's principal, told the Global Times, on Friday. 

At the school's front gate is a board marking the time left, so every student at the school gets a chance to count down the days to the Games' opening in 2022. 

Behind the school's excitement is a government goal set in early 2015 aimed at introducing winter sports to primary students in order to diversify PE classes that traditionally only focus on "running, jumping and throwing" as well as increase younger generations' passion for winter sports.

"We create an environment for them to 'get a feel for' these rather unfamiliar winter sports. They may or may not end up loving them when grow up, but I need to seek out new changes for my students to open up a window for them as much as I can," Xue, a soccer-player-turned-educator, told the Global Times.  

"My favorite sport is cross-country skiing. I love the excitement that skiing brings me. I'm not afraid of falling down because my coach said she did too," Lu Jianing, a 10-year-old girl who plans to take part in some junior ski competitions in 2021, told the Global Times. 

The undertaking to bring winter sports into the lives of students has posed some challenges due to limited facilities, but the school has found some methods to cope, such as practicing ice and snow sports on "dry land." 

From 7:10 to 7:50 am and 4:00 to 4:30 pm, the playground is organized into different areas for students to practice skiing, running lanes and ice hockey. The students are fully equipped just as they would be if they were taking part in the events for real. 

Lucky for students who are fond of curling, an actual rink was built through local donation at the back of the school. It opens every day for students to use it even though maintenance has been pricey. 

The Dianchang Road Primary School is not the only institution to take part in this national undertaking, which was introduced by the General Administration of Sport of China in 2018 to get 300 million people involved in winter sports. 

The Jingyuan Primary School, also located in the Shijingshan district, has been working hard to get children involved in winter sports. It has an official ice hockey team and a figure skating team made up of 50 students in total. Every Friday afternoon, they head to the ice center in the district to receive professional training. 

"We have to start with kids if we want to fulfill the 300 million people on ice goal. Children can accept things quicker than adults, and they can influence adults, allowing them to see the beauty of ice-snow culture," Ma, a coach at the Jingyuan school, told the Global Times. 

In addition to just practicing these sports, the school also wants students to learn about the culture of the Olympic Games, including its spirit and symbolism. 

A room at the end of a corridor in the Dianchang Road Primary School's has become a special "Winter Olympics museum" full of handicrafts art made by students based on their interpretation of the Games. 

"Practicing sports is a type of 'setback' education, in which we want our kids to learn that winning and losing are a natural part of life," said Ma.