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The stage is set for an unforgettable winter sports experience with the 2025 Asian Winter Games hosted in Harbin.
Prepare for an extraordinary event embraced by the open arms and generous spirit of the people of Harbin.
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Coming to you live from Beijing, this is Roundtable.
I'm Ha Young. For today's program, I'm joined by Steve Hatherly and Yuxian in the studio.
First on today's show.
The icy magic of Harbin is about to sweep us off our feet with the 2025 Asian Winter Games.
For the second time, this city, famous for its breathtaking ice sculptures and frosty temperatures in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province, is welcoming athletes from all over Asia.
Yes, you heard that right.
Harbin is bringing the chill and the thrill of sports once again.
This year's games are set to dazzle with exciting competitions, vibrant designs, and of course, the incredibly warm hospitality of the local people.
It's more than just sports.
It's a celebration of Asia coming together in the spirit of friendship and unity.
Before we dive into the action, let's start with the basics.
What about this winter Asian Games stands out for you?
The temperature so far?
I saw it today, minus 24 in Harbin.
So there's no risk of the ice and snow melting over the next few days.
No risk at all. And that's for nighttime, right?
During the day, it's like minus 11 centigrade, degrees, something like that.
Yeah, cold. And for me, I feel like the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou in 2023 is just yesterday.
And then in the blink of an eye's time, like, boom, we're here welcoming the Asian Winter Games.
So what is Asian Winter Games?
It's a winter multi -sport event recognized by the International Olympic Committee and is the largest winter multi -sport event in Asia.
And the Games has been successfully held eight times since its inception in 1986.
So this year, the Asian Winter Games is also organized by the Olympic Council of Asia, similar to that of the 19th Asian Games, and is hosted by member countries on a rotating basis, typically held every four years.
So this year, it is to be held in the ice and snow city of Harbin.
Yeah, it's got a long, long history.
It does go back to 1986, as you mentioned.
The Japanese Olympic Committee actually first suggested the idea of having a continent -wide winter version of the Asian Games in 1982.
And then Sapporo was the initial location for it.
And they held it there because of their expertise and their infrastructure available after successfully hosting the 1972 Winter Olympics.
And that's why the decision was made to have it there.
and it was created to promote winter sports in Asia because a lot of countries in this part of the world lack the climate or the facilities for such activities so that's where the idea came from and yeah as you mentioned it's been held in Harban before I think it was 1996 when it was last held in Harban and we're
back here again it's going to be an exciting few days for sure oh an exciting week exactly and this year the official slogan I really like this one by the way dream of winter, love among Asia so it's not just about, you know, competing and doing the sports, but also sharing the love and sharing the sense
of welcoming and hospitality from Harbin.
And the embell here is called breakthrough, which is the fusion of a short track speed skater figure and also a lilac flower, which is the city flower of Harbin and a dancing ribbon so all of these elements combined together trying to portrait this whole excitement of winter sport plus some symbols
from the host city as well very cool and there's a couple of cute little mascots I think correct me if I'm wrong on the pronunciation Bin Bin and Nini yes they're inspired by two adorable tiger cubs born in September of 2023 in the province, and the name Bimbin is derived from Harbin, and then Nini,
that comes from the pronunciation of the Chinese word for you?
Exactly, ni. So together they symbolize, when you put them together, Harbin welcomes you, and that reflects the city's very warm anticipation, and as you mentioned already, the hospitality towards friends from across Asia.
So Bimbin and Nini will be doing their job to keep people entertained during the games And I think it's really impressive they use tiger cups You know, because in 2021, I think, that's when China officially established the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park Spanning across the Heilongjiang
province and Jilin province So now we see that these two provinces provide like a sanctuary for around 70 wild Siberian tigers reflecting this significant conservation milestone.
So now the tiger cups of Siberian tigers that's been protected is skating around, doing ice hockey, curling in Harbin.
Yeah, and these are some beloved animals in China.
And when we speak of Heilongjiang or when we see these mascots immediately, we see, oh, that's very well suited because these cute Siberian tigers or Northeast China Tigers, they are from exactly this.
It's their hometown.
And we also see that there's a record high number of countries and regions that are participating in this Asian winter game.
It's going to be 34 countries and regions participating this time around.
And that figure marks the highest number of participants in the history of the event.
That's an increase of four countries and regions compared to the previous record that was set at the eighth Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan, back in 2017, and that was the last edition of the Asian Winter Games back in 2017.
This time, they're going to have 1 ,275 athletes there, all doing their best to compete.
Among them, there's 847 athletes, It's 513 male, 334 female competing in ice events there, and 428 athletes will be competing in snow events in Yabuli.
Yeah, that's the Yabuli Skiing Resort that's also located in Harbin.
Yeah, and that's a little bit south of Harbin, I think, right?
Maybe a couple of hundred kilometers away from city center.
Right. And also, Harbin 2025, this year's Asian Winter Games, have some really cool designs.
And lots of new concepts have gone into them.
So which ones have caught your attention?
I mean, the color system is really amazing because it features the theme of romantic dreams that include four theme colors.
That's the crystal blue, lilac purple, range green and harvest yellow, which reminds me of Elsa and Anna from Frozen, actually.
I don't think that was the inspiration for them.
Maybe something closer to home.
Not exactly. That's what I'm about to say next.
Not really from Disney, but this time is from all the elements that's in China or more specifically within the Heilunjiang province.
So taking the inspiration from ice formations of the river that flows through Harbin, the crystal blue palette embodies the unique charm inherited in a city of ice and snow.
And then there's the lilac purple, as we mentioned, that's coming from the city flower of Harbin.
And the color of lilacs showcases the hospitality of Harbin people and the innovation of the city as well.
And then there's the range green that's inspired actually from the color of the vast and luxurious forests in China's Xin 'an Mountains that include the greater and the lesser Xin 'an Mountains located in Heilongjiang province.
And then last but not least, there's the harvest yellow, which means a bumper harvest that is inspired by the harvest season of Heilongjiang, reflecting the golden time of rice ripening.
We know that in northeastern China, there's like a famous, it's really well -known for its rice production.
And the rice there has a very good quality as well.
So, yeah, all of these combined together, that's a homemade theme color for this year's games.
Yeah, and if you look at the pictograms for the individual sports, they kind of follow the color design elements as well.
They're very cool looking for audio here, obviously, but get get a look at those.
They're really cool looking and the torch, the metal, the anthem for the Asian winter games.
They have enjoyed a lot of specific designs that go into these these sort of items that represent the games.
So one thing that I find really interesting is how the flame is generated.
And what do you guys think about these special designs?
Yeah, I heard that the flame for this year's Asian Winter Games was collected using an ice lens.
So this practice of using sunlight remains the same for the Asian Winter Games.
The use of ice to ignite the flame is truly unique.
And the water used to create the ice is sourced from the Songhwa River, which runs through the Harbin as well.
And also by harnessing the power of sunlight and capturing the flame of the Asian Winter Games, it symbolizes the athletes' passion for ice and snow and also their spirit for unity and collaboration.
And, of course, their pursuit for excellence during the Games.
The design of the torch as well, it takes the form of a blossoming lilac.
We just heard that that's the city's flower.
Right. And then it integrates colors such as China red and lilac purple and snow white, the color, not the character, I assume.
The outer shell of it resembles a flower, the lilac, and then it transitions from transparent ice crystal to this snow white.
And then the inner core, it transitions from the China red to the lilac purple.
It's really beautiful.
When it's lit, the torch presents this effect of ice and fire merging together, and it highlights the radiant energy of winter sports that springs from challenge and passion.
And the overall torch design itself incorporates some international aesthetic features, too, while blending some classic and modern Chinese art.
Really well done. Yeah, and you mentioned the medals for the Asian Winter Games this year.
It's actually titled Spirit of Speed for the medals.
And the front of the medals combines the streamlined shape of a racetrack with the emblem of the ninth Asian Winter Games, capturing the powerful and graceful motion of athletes in action.
And this design embodies the strength and beauty of competitive sports, and the flowing curves of the racetrack incorporates the silhouette of the Harbin Grand Theater, reflecting the city's unique aesthetics.
So we see that the elements of Harbin is really infiltrated into every piece of the designs this year.
Yeah, that's really wonderful.
And there's so many people behind the scene putting so much design effort and reminding everyone.
Also, of course, the athletes, if you're so lucky to get one of these medals when you go home and then years later, look at the souvenir, everything will remind you of Harbin and your experience here.
And what about some of these new themes that have been flagged as, you know, some really great designs for this event?
We actually in recent years for every major winter big sporting event, we hear sustainability.
We hear, you know, these green eco -friendly.
Yeah, these kind of themes.
And this year, I think it continues to be something that the organizers have put into their operation.
They have, yeah. They're going to be putting into use venues with 100 % green electricity.
This is the first time in the event's history.
So you're right that they made a point of that, and they're doing that very well.
All venues will use existing facilities.
What that means is there's no new construction there.
The vice chairman and secretary general of the organizing committee introduced that all the ice events will utilize venues that were already there.
And renovations have been conducted on things like refrigeration and dehumidification and lighting and heating and networking systems and all the things that need to work together to make sure that the facilities are working very well.
So, yeah, it was on their radar and they're accomplishing it.
The opening ceremony itself, which is I think we're just maybe hours away from that, that's going to be divided into main segments, including the ceremony, some artistic performances and the lighting of the torch.
That's always an exciting part of the games.
And they're putting it into three chapters, upper, upper, middle and lower.
And they're going to be emphasizing human emotions.
And it will also make extensive use of domestic artificial intelligence models, of course, augmented reality and other technological means, too.
So you've got the eco -friendly, the green side, but then you've got the high tech aspect coming.
Yeah. And Steve mentioned just now that this is the first time in history that 100 percent green electricity will be guaranteed during this year's Asian Winter Games.
And I looked just a little bit into what it means for 100 % green electricity.
That green energy that's, as explained by the head of the Environmental Protection Task Force, the organizing committee, is actually sourced from wind and solar power that will be consistently supplying to the venues throughout the whole Games.
For example, there's this Heilongjiang Ice Training Center that's designated for athletes' preparations for speed skating, short track speed skating and figure skating events during the Games.
And Wu Xiang, the chief engineer of this center, introduced that they have replaced gasoline -powered ice resurfacing machines with electric alternatives, thereby further improving the environmental sustainability of this venue.
So that's how they're doing it, to achieve this 100 % green electricity.
Yeah, how exciting.
And while there's a lot to anticipate with this major event, actually, there's, of course, the people that are organizing this.
And the logistics side of it is also a great feat to pull off.
So what do we know about that part of things?
Well, the spokesperson for the ninth Winter Asian Games has just announced that preparations for the event has already been completed.
and is already ready for its opening on February the 7th, a few hours later.
And this is according to Zhang Huaihua, the Deputy Secretary General of the Organizing Committee and Vice Mayor of Harbin, that they have already prepared 39 hotels for the reception of athletes and carefully designed menus, including halal options for the athletes from all around Asia.
So there are multiple options for them.
And also all ingredients and seasonings are subject to full chain supervision from the source to the dining table.
Additionally, 1 ,090 vehicles have been arranged for event -related transportation with dedicated shuttle bus from airports to hotels and from hotels to venues as well.
And during the event, the Harbin -Yabuli Railway will operate 40 trains per day.
And also there are 31 designated hospitals and more than 600 full -time medical and health personnel that has been stationed at the venues to help the athletes.
Exactly, Huyang. You mentioned it, right?
When we see the events on TV, we see the athletes performing at the venues.
It's very exciting, but we need to appreciate as well all the work and the organization that's gone into an event of this size.
There is tons going on behind the scenes and tons of people working there, tons of volunteers, all doing their best to make sure it goes smoothly.
Yes, and China has quite a lot of experience in organizing these big sports events or big events in general.
And the way Chinese people handle the logistics, sometimes you have to be here to truly witness and appreciate.
It's hardcore. It's not like people take this lightly.
Oh, you know, we'll just show up and help out.
It's not like that.
people are on a mission.
And they'll make sure that everything goes according to time and plan.
And that's what I'm sort of expecting from Harvin as well.
If you don't hear anything in the news about, you know, organizational something or other, that means everything's going well.
And that means everybody's doing a great job.
Yeah. And actually, for you guys, after doing some research and, you know, feeling the excitement in China, what are some of the things that you most look forward to from this year's Asian Winter Games?
How about you, Star, Steve?
Sports, all of them, all of them, all of them.
Speed skating, short track is always super exciting to watch.
I played ice hockey and curling growing up, so I'm looking forward to those two events.
I'm also looking forward to ski mountaineering.
Have you looked into what ski mountaineering is?
Tell us more. Well, it's three different things, basically.
From what I understand, it's almost like a triathlon, except it's on snow and it's on a mountain.
And instead of typically skiing downhill which is also part of the event you ski up the mountain as well it's cool how they do it they put these kind of grips removable grips on the bottom of their skis which allows them to go up and not slide backwards so there's that then there's hiking up the mountain and these
athletes are I mean their physical condition this is grueling grueling and these athletes are in peak physical condition, I'm looking forward to watching all of these sports.
Yeah, I am not really that familiar with winter sports in general, but I did hear that this year, well, at least for this edition of the Asian Winter Games, 31 % of the events are making their debut, actually.
So all of these are newly added events, including two speed skating events, one short track speed skating event, one curling event, three ski mountaineering events, and nine freestyle skiing events, and four snowboarding events.
So I think for me, these are quite new vocabularies to be put together, but I'm looking forward to how they're actually up there in the venue and how the competition is carried out as well.
I think the advantage, and we've talked about this before, You know, when you have an event like this held in the country, in Harbin, where you're receiving international attention, global media is covering this.
But also we've talked about the promotion of ice and snow sports in China itself.
And I think when you have someone like you, Sean, for example, or young people who are perhaps curious about these sports, this is a really wonderful opportunity to learn more.
I know that when you watch these events on TV, the announcers, they'll know if some sports aren't that popular in a country or are growing in popularity.
So they'll take extra time to explain some of the rules and what's happening.
I know that's important for curling.
A lot of people don't really know what's going on on a curling sheet.
I'm happy to explain if anyone wants to ask me a question there.
But my point is this, is that when the event is here, it's just another fantastic opportunity to grow the sports and their popularity so that when the event is over, you have a lot of people interested in getting involved in them.
That's such a great point because we definitely see this in Beijing and in China in general ever since Beijing hosted, well, in 2008, it was the summer Olympic Games and being the first capital city to host also the winter Olympic Games.
And nowadays, it's so common for people to travel to a nearby town via very comfortable and fast transportation to, for example, Chongli to ski, to do some winter sports, skiing, skating, all that good stuff.
Now, people have really taken it up, and that's fantastic.
Hopefully, this will happen for Harbin as well.
Also, Harbin is so much colder than Beijing.
They must have a lot of enthusiasts of these sports to start with.
Right, and besides that, this is, after all, an Asian winter game.
So the participating countries are also worth looking forward to as well.
So China, Japan, and South Korea will compete in all events with Cambodia and Saudi Arabia that's debuting this year, participating in alpine skiing, snowboarding, and several other competitions as well, which will, of course, help promote the development of winter sports and foster exchanges and integration of Asian civilizations
on the note of doing winter sports as well.
So it's not just in Harbin or in China generally, but all across Asia for more people to get involved.
And China as the host nation will participate in all six major events and 64 events in general in total.
And it just seems like we can keep ourselves busy for the next week.
We absolutely will.
And China has some stars, existing star athletes and some rising star athletes in various sports that we'll be keeping our eyes on as well.
So we're excited about the event.
and i personally if you're wondering what i'm doing for the next few days i will be glued to my tv uh watching the events as many as i can yeah sometimes i see steve very busy with his phone on and then one day i managed to like just to you know just have a little sneak peek and he was watching a sports game yep not doing research for the show never have to
wonder and for the next few days.
Next week, we will have more special shows covering the Winter Asian Games, so that's something you can definitely look forward to.
