Harbin begins 300-day countdown of 9th Asian Winter Games

Residents, athletes, actors, office workers and children gathered in Harbin, Heilongjiang province on Saturday to celebrate the start of the 300-day countdown to the 9th Asian Winter Games, which are scheduled to open on Feb 7, 2025, in Harbin.

"Hosting the 9th Asian Winter Games is a glorious mission to Heilongjiang," Liang Huiling, governor of the province said at the countdown celebration ceremony held on Saturday. "Heilongjiang and Harbin will strive to host the 9th Asian Winter Games at a high level, which will help Heilongjiang to create a new growth pole for the ice and snow economy, build a new highland for opening up to the north."

The 9th Asian Winter Games will take place from Feb 7 to 14, 2025, featuring six sports, 11 disciplines and 64 events.

At the ceremony, the promotional video "Shared Future for Harbin" and the core graphics, color system, and sports pictograms for the 9th Asian Winter Games were released.

During the countdown event, five major mass activities with different themes, including culture, art, sports, and ice and snow, were simultaneously launched to showcase the characteristics of Harbin city in various ways, highlighting the charm of the Games and the "Ice City", creating a lively atmosphere of whole-city participation and a warm welcome for the upcoming Asian Winter Games.

To support the Games, the Harbin Sports Bureau will organize 286 sports events in the following 300 days, promoting the deep integration of sports, tourism, culture and commerce.

Additionally, the ice and snow test events for the Asian Winter Games will further increase public attention to the upcoming games, the bureau said.