Nation braces for big boom in cold-weather sports

More than two years after the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics concluded, the legacy of the Games lives on, providing a boost to China's winter sports industry with governments, business owners and experts all bullish on the sector's robust growth during the country's next five-year plan period.

With yet another major international event, the 9th Asian Winter Games, set to open in February next year in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, the approaching winter season is expected to witness new highs in the number of ice and snow sports activities, the revenue of related businesses and the number of tourists at skiing destinations, according to officials attending a Wednesday news briefing on winter sports development.

"Since the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the surging public demand for ice and snow sports and related leisure activities has popularized the winter sports sector, while the recent boom only indicates a consistent and even stronger growth in the next five-year development period," said Peng Fuwei, head of the social development department of the National Development and Reform Commission.