China News Service, Hulunbuir, February 20th, title: "Fourteenth Winter" meets the Spring Festival: "ice and snow white" and "Chinese red" meet "hot and hot"
China News Service reporter Li Aiping and Xing Chong
Coming to Hulunbuir in northern Xinjiang, although the ice and snow weather here is completely different from the warm Macau, for Su Yingkang, it is a "hot" experience.
“During the Lunar New Year, a festive period for family reunion, Macao organized a delegation to participate in the National Winter Games and had in-depth exchanges with the mainland on the development of ice and snow sports. The strong New Year atmosphere suddenly brought us closer and strengthened our confidence in relying on the motherland to develop ice and snow sports. ." Su Yingkang from the Macau delegation said in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Service.
The 14th National Winter Games (referred to as "14th Winter") coincides with the Spring Festival holiday. From the moment you arrive at the airport, you can see the combination of various winter sports elements and the strong New Year flavor. "Snow white" and "Chinese red" quietly meet, making every "winter sports person" participating in the event feel the warmth of home.
In Hailar District, Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia, snow sculptures with the theme of the 14th National Winter Games (referred to as "14th Winter") stand on the streets. Photo by China News Service reporter Liu Wenhua
In the Liangcheng competition area of Ulanqab City, athletes finished a day of fierce competition. The Yangko team members dressed in festive and colorful costumes came singing and dancing to wish everyone New Year's greetings. "During the Spring Festival, the staff, like us, did not go home for the New Year and went all out to provide service guarantees. This inspired us to perform at our best and live up to expectations." Biathlete Tang Jialin said.
Foreign referee Roger Kerr's first experience of the China Winter Games "collided" with the Spring Festival. He came from Canada and said with a smile, "This business trip is even better." “I found the location of Hulunbuir on the map before coming here. The high-profile event left a deep impression on me, and I also had an authentic Chinese Spring Festival.”
For Xu Mingchen and other eight students from Beijing Sport University, this Spring Festival experience is a transformation in their growth. In order to prepare for the recitation of "Ode to the Chinese Sports Spirit" at the opening ceremony, they came to Hulunbuir before the Spring Festival. There were laughter and tears during the rehearsal. After the official performance, they were so excited that they burst into tears again.
Xu Mingchen said that such a "hot" experience gave them a deeper understanding of the Chinese sports spirit. "We feel the power and charm of sports more deeply, and we will continue to tell the story of Chinese sports from the perspective of youth."
The Inner Mongolia Ice Sports Training Center is located in Hailar District, Hulunbuir City. As the main venue of the "14th Winter", it is responsible for the opening ceremony and all ice sports competitions. Photo by China News Service reporter Liu Wenhua
Watching the "Fourteenth Winter" to celebrate the Chinese New Year has become a leisure choice for many tourists during this Spring Festival. In order to support the "Fourteenth Winter", Batu Suhe and his partners organized the "Everyday Ice and Snow Naadam" event in the Morgler River Scenic Area, attracting many tourists to immerse themselves in Mongolian culture and traditional sports. He said that the "Winter Rhythm" emblem of the "14th Winter" is exactly like the Morgler River, and the winter sports events have made this "the most beautiful river in the world" more widely known.
Whether it is "skiing and soaking in hot springs, celebrating the New Year in Liangcheng" or the ice and snow festival performances brought by Anda Group, Ergun Band, etc., the encounter between "Fourteenth Winter" and the Spring Festival makes winter tourism in Inner Mongolia "hot and hot" . Data show that during the Spring Festival holiday, Inner Mongolia received 31.4055 million domestic tourists, 5.76 times that of 2023, and achieved tourism revenue of 22.122 billion yuan (RMB), 7.63 times that of 2023.
The upcoming Lantern Festival is also during the "Fourteenth Winter" period, and winter sports-themed lanterns and ice lanterns have been decorated on the streets of Hulunbuir. Zhang Zhi, deputy director of the Inner Mongolia Sports Bureau, said that with the "14th Winter" in full swing, various parts of Inner Mongolia are using the passion of ice and snow sports to awaken winter vitality, making every effort to activate new functions of the ice and snow economy, and benefit the people through winter sports.
Chen Baihui, a staff member of the Hong Kong delegation, is looking forward to the lively atmosphere of the Lantern Festival here. "During the competition during the Spring Festival, we very much hope that Hong Kong ice and snow athletes will achieve good results, learn from each other and establish sincere and valuable friendships with ice and snow athletes from all over the world. This is the happiest thing." (End)