Bing Dwen Dwen (right) and Shuey Rhon Rhon, mascots for the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics Photo: VCG

Meng Yu, a Beijing resident working in the internet industry, is searching for a place to have some fun during the weekend, when she sees an ad for some skiing and skating resorts around her home. Recalling that several friends talked extremely positive about some ice and snow events, she decides to book a ticket for the ­Shichahai Ice Rink so she can try out the charm of ice sports for herself.

It has been almost a year since the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games came to a successful close, and in that time more than 346 million people in ­China just like Meng and her friends had gained an interest in winter sports after being inspired by the legacy of the Winter Olympics. 

To mark the Games' first anniversary, local institutions such as the Beijing Olympic City Development ­Association (BODA) have been holding activities to consolidate the achievements of getting people involved in winter sports.

"According to my observations, one of the obvious changes in recent years is the greater reach of winter sports among the public due to the promotion of the Beijing Winter Games. This change can bring stronger vitality to the industry," Tong Jian, a former world champion figure skater, noted on Sunday in Beijing at the opening ceremony for events marking the anniversary of the Games.

A view outside the National Speed Skating Oval, also known as the Ice Ribbon, the venue for speed skating events at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Photo: VCG

Sports boom 

Over the past year, ice and snow culture in China has become ­increasingly popular, which can be reflected in the improvement of facilities and a boom in winter activities. To promote the achievements of the Beijing Winter Games and show Olympic spirit, a series of activities are being held amid the first anniversary of the Games.

For instance, a free exhibition opened on Sunday to display the behind-the-scenes steps that were taken to make the 2022 Winter Games a reality.

Fu Xiaohui, director of BODA, introduced at the opening ceremony of the exhibition that the International Olympic Committee has brought an additional 156 pictures and nine video clips about the Beijing Winter Games to give the exhibition a more international vision.

The stadiums built for the Winter Olympic have been playing a significant role in promoting the Olympic legacy to the public and attracting more people to stand on ice and snow.

Zhang Xiaodan, head of the Department of Cultural and Sports Activities of National Speed Skating Oval, told the Global Times on Sunday that the first speed skating competition held for Beijing residents opened on Saturday as part of the anniversary commemorative activities.

Although it was open to amateurs, the competition adheres to the ­standards of the Winter Games. The organizers set up four broadcasting booths and a professional electronic timing and scoring system. All 26 judges took part in the Beijing Winter Olympics and related qualification events. The aim of the event is to allow the public to become the real protagonist of the National Speed Skating Oval.

In the stadiums built on the site of a former steel mill belonging to the Shougang Group, winter sports activities that are more leisurely such as ice sledding also attracted many residents to enjoy some winter fun with family.

"Presently, ice and snow sports are not just about competitions performance, but also focus on promoting healthy and trendy sports concepts to young people. More and more people can show their yearning for a better life by participating in winter sports in the post-Games era," Tong, who is owner of a figure skating training center, told the Global Times. 

The National Ski Jumping Center, the venue for ski jumping and Nordic combined events of the Beijing Winter Olympics Photo: IC

Bright prospects

The Beijing Winter Games stunned audiences around the world with their opening and closing ceremonies. Talking about the reason for their success on Saturday, their chief director, famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou, pointed out that people's confidence in Chinese culture was a major source of inspiration.

Renewed cultural confidence is also one of the treasures that the Beijing Winter Games has given to China, leading sports industry insiders and ordinary people to have faith in the future of the Chinese sports industry and its bright prospects.

Data shows that there were about 400 ski resorts nationwide in 2014, while this number had increased to more than 700 by 2022. The 2022 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo in Shougang Park attracted more than 600 brands from nearly 30 countries and regions, demonstrating the international confidence in China's winter sports market.

To further promote winter sports to the public, Tong said that in the future, they will cultivate more competitive talents, expand career development platforms and channels and combine life and sports to allow more people enjoy the charm of winter sports.

Big Air Shougang, the venue for big air events at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Photo: VCG