Snow and ice activities see growing popularity in capital city

Dongbeiwang Central Primary School might not be the most famous in Beijing, but when it comes to winter sports activities, it is a pioneer.

In November last year, the first mobile ice rink on a school campus in the capital was installed, and for the first time, skating became part of the city's physical education curriculum.

"In the past, sports activities were always the same throughout the year. The introduction of skating really excited the students," said Li Chunsong, director of the school's general office.

While Northeast China - the provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang - is a traditional winter sports powerbase, people in the rest of the country are now increasingly taking to ice and snow.

Beijing, which will host the 2022 Winter Olympics with Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, has issued a plan to boost winter sports in the coming years.

As a result, 10 such mobile ice rinks have been installed in Beijing, which can operate in temperatures of up to 10 C, usually until about March. More schools have introduced skiing, taking students to ski resorts at weekends, while 12 schools in the city's Huairou district have introduced curling.

As for ice hockey, which has gained popularity among the city's teenagers, 15 clubs have been established and the number of people playing regularly has reached about 2,000.

The city will build another 16 indoor and 50 outdoor skating rinks as well as increasing the number of ski fields from the existing 22 to 30 by 2022.

In addition, more than 5,000 physical education teachers will receive professional training in winter sports to better instruct students.

Meanwhile, Beijing founded a winter sports team last month, covering eight disciplines. "We don't really have a long history of winter sports. Hopefully hosting the Winter Olympics will make a difference and encourage more people to partake in such activities," said Sun Xuecai, direct general of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports.

Inspired by the Olympic spirit embodied by the performances of homegrown Olympians in 2008, the general public in China appears to have placed greater importance on exercising for a healthy lifestyle.

To prompt greater enthusiasm for fitness programs, the State Council elected Aug 8 as the nation's annual "National Fitness Day", on which a range of grassroots competitions and exercise events are held to continue the 2008 Olympic legacy.

tangyue@chinadailly.com.cn