All competition venues for the upcoming ninth Asian Winter Games are now ready as the 100-day countdown to the event began on Wednesday.
The Asian Winter Games are set to take place in China's northernmost province of Heilongjiang from Feb 7-14 in 2025.
The major international winter sports event comes just two years after China hosted the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.
Approved by the Olympic Council of Asia, the upcoming Games will feature six sports, 11 disciplines, and a total of 64 events.
Five venues for ice sports have been established in downtown Harbin, a city known for its ice culture, while eight venues for snow sports are situated at Yabuli Ski Resort.
The venues have already received athletes for training sessions, and a total of 14 test events are scheduled from September to January next year.
"My immediate impression of the rink is that the temperature is very comfortable, both on the ice and the room temperature. This conducive setting will help us get into the zone and improve our performance," said skating athlete Wangjing Ziqian.
All 13 competition venues utilize energy-saving and environmentally friendly materials as well as low-carbon technologies, relying on existing facilities for maintenance and renovation without large-scale demolition and construction.
For the snow sports that will be held at Yabuli, all related renovation projects for the venues have also been completed and inspected, with a variety of test events expected to be carried out sequentially after snowmaking concludes in mid-December.
"All competition venues for the ninth Asian Winter Games are fully equipped and in place. Currently, various test events are steadily progressing. Next, based on the results of these test events, we will optimize and adjust the facilities and equipment of the venues to ensure that participating athletes achieve better competition results while providing spectators with an enhanced viewing experience," said Lyu Rongsheng, construction manager of the Games.
Venues for 9th Venues Asian Winter Games completed
