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This is the Beijing Hour.
Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour.
One hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host.
Shane Begum with you on this Wednesday, February 18th, 2026.
You're listening to a special holiday edition of the Beijing Hour coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, the Chinese president's exchanged New Year greetings with his old friends in Iowa as part of the ongoing holiday festivities.
The second day of trilateral talks among Ukraine, the United States and Russia has concluded in Geneva.
And China's earned a historic medal in a men's speed skating event at the Olympic Winter Games in Italy.
In the second half.
Today we turn to Beijing residents and the growing enthusiasm for ice sports in everyday life since the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Now checking the day's top stories.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has replied to his friends in the US state of Iowa and sent a Chinese New Year card in return.
President Xi recalled his visit to Iowa 41 years ago.
He noted that the hope of China-U.S. relations lies in the people.
He also emphasized that the future bilateral ties rest with the young people and their vitality derives from cooperation at the local level.
President Xi said that, regardless of how the situation evolves, the desire for the Chinese and American people for interaction and cooperation won't change.
He hoped more young Americans can become inheritors of China-U.S. friendship and promoters of peace.
Earlier President Xi's friends from Iowa wrote to extend Chinese New Year greetings to him and his wife Peng Liyuan.
They said they'll continue to develop friendship with the Chinese people.
Another group of young Americans are spending their first spring festival in China.
They're part of exchanges under President Xi Jinping's initiative for 50000 American youth to visit the country over five years.
Huang Fei met with the U.S.
Youth Pickleball Cultural Exchange delegation at their first stop, Shenzhen, in southern China.
On the eve of Chinese New Year, it's a hands-on lesson in culture and teamwork.
A chef came over and showed us how to do it first and how to make it look cool.
It was fun, but we weren't very good at it.
It was more just like having fun with the mistakes.
This is their first time.
It's our first time being here for Chinese New Year.
These student ambassadors are in Shenzhen to promote what they describe as pickleball diplomacy.
Beyond the matches, they're diving into spring festival traditions.
Decades ago, it was ping pong that opened a chapter of friendship between China and the U.S.
And now it's pickleball, a new sport, a new bridge.
And you could say that dumplings are doing something similar.
They're round, shaped like a ball.
And in China they symbolize wealth and togetherness, like the shape of the dumpling, like kind of a coin.
Oh, togetherness, togetherness.
We were all making them together.
In 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would invite 50000 young Americans to China for exchange and study over five years.
This trip is part of that promise.
Next stop, flower markets.
Flowers are a big deal for Chinese New Year, especially here in southern China.
Families visit flower markets in the days leading up to the New Year to pick out bright colors and lucky meanings.
And for American teens visiting here for the first time, this is a lot filled with surprises.
I learned that each flower has its own special significance.
I think a large difference is like Christmas in the U.S., it's cold.
I mean, we're here, there's Every color you could ever imagine.
It's warm, it's sunny, it's nice.
And I think it's like polar opposites, but in a way they give the same meaning.
It's all about family, it's all about connections and it's all about spending time with the ones you love most.
Watching the Spring Festival Gala is a New Year's Eve ritual across China.
Families gathering around the TV to welcome the year together.
In Shenzhen, the American pickleball players hosted a celebration of their own, with food, gifts and plenty of talent.
Well, pickleball is a very small part of what we do.
You know, people can have differences, different cultures, different beliefs, but it's finding the similarities and building bridges.
And that's that's our mission with pickleball diplomacy.
And we're honored, 55 years later, watching how ping pong diplomacy brought the United States and China together.
We're hopeful to be part of that, too.
On New Year's Day, ancient customs come alive at this cultural heritage theme park.
Oh my, when the trapeze, when the kids were jumping through the Hootsie Doots clips, that was so crazy.
They're so talented.
I didn't even think they could get that high in the air.
Honestly, it was just beautiful to watch.
You saw so much culture, and it really told a story about where we are.
It made me have such a much deeper understanding of China and its culture, and I just love it here so much.
It's such a deeper cultural tradition.
In the United States, you know, we generally stay up until midnight and watch the ball drop and that can be a lot of fun.
But here, there are so many traditions, and they're so deep and long-running.
It's such a connected experience that you definitely don't get in the United States.
And it's been such a wonderful experience so far, and I'm so grateful to have been here.
Through sport, food and shared experiences, connections are forming, connections that could help strengthen ties between China and the US.
Sometimes, that's all it takes.
A game, a meal, a walk, and an open mind.
And that was Huang Fei reporting.
Celebrations continue across China on the second day of the Chinese New Year.
In Heilongjiang province, hundreds gathered in the city of Fuyuan to witness the first ray of sunrise of the New Year.
In Beijing, crowds are flocking to traditional temple fairs to catch performances, some with a history of more than 400 years.
In Jiangsu province.
People are scaling a mountain in the city of Lianyunggang to make their New Year wishes.
The ancient city of Kashgar in Xinjiang, Uyghur Autonomous Region is hosting a nine-day spring festival event, with parades showcasing folk traditions.
In Sichuan province.
Lantern and light displays in Zergong are noteworthy for using 100 green power for the very first time.
Hong Kong and Macau are staging traditional dragon and lion dances.
Strong consumer spending has marked the start of the Spring Festival holiday across China.
The Commerce Ministry says daily sales in the retail and catering sectors during the first two days of the holiday increased by 106 compared to the same period last year.
Demand remains strong for green, smart, and health-conscious products.
In the services sector, notable growth was recorded in restaurant reservations, hotel bookings and car rentals.
Hong Kong's expecting 14 million visitors from the Chinese mainland over the Spring Festival holiday.
Daily arrivals are forecast to grow by 6% from last year.
The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region hopes to boost and diversify tourism through nine tourism hotspots.
And Laura Westbrook has more.
This old police station in Kowloon might not appear to be an obvious tourist destination.
It was the backdrop of many classic Hong Kong dramas, and Chinese social media platforms have boosted its popularity.
Because of the Hong Kong TV drama, it's a very famous place, so I come here.
It's one of nine tourism hotspots identified by a government working group for their potential in diversifying tourism offerings.
The main reason I visit Hong Kong is to see the cultural heritage here.
Personally, shopping is less important.
I want to experience the local culture more.
Inside, an exhibition pays homage to the city's classic crime films.
Former detention cells have been repurposed as photo opportunities.
It's immersive experiences like this that the government is hoping will draw in more visitors as it looks for new ways to adapt to tourists' changing tastes.
Last year, inbound visitors to Hong Kong grew 12 compared to 2024, though still below pre-pandemic levels.
Visitors from the Chinese mainland account for around 76 of arrivals, but overseas tourists also grew.
Still, experts say the city needs to do more to enhance its competitiveness.
Hong Kong is more expensive than the mainland counterpart, and therefore it's quite likely that tourists may not spend in the same way as before.
Another hotspot is an exhibition of replica sets from the 2024 hit movie Twilight of the Warriors, walled in.
It was recreated at the location where the lawless enclave that inspired the film stood before it was torn down more than 30 years ago.
Paul Chan says that his walking tours of Kowloon have increased in popularity since the movie was released.
If we want them to come back, say one more time, two more times, then we'll probably need to somehow broaden and also beef up our tourism offering.
Chan says continuously curating offerings unique to Hong Kong is what's needed to adapt to a fast-changing tourism market.
That was Laura Westbrook reporting.
This year, China's Spring Festival Travel Rush is heading offshore.
From Shanghai to Hong Kong, cruise ships are transforming the traditional family reunion into a floating celebration blending festive cuisine, cultural performances and vibrant holiday spending.
Bi Ren has more.
One trip, endless experiences.
No packing, no rushing, no stress.
For travelers, this cruise turns China's New Year into an immersive getaway.
Yes, a six-day, five-night New Year getaway at sea.
Adora Cruise's first domestically built mega cruise ship, Adora Magic City, has departed from Shanghai, bound for Incheon and Jeju in the Republic of Korea, carrying a full load of holiday travelers.
Further south.
Another mega cruise has set sail from Guangzhou, offering passengers a warm-weather spring festival voyage to Vietnam, combining ocean views with festival cheer.
I want to celebrate the spring festival in a new way and experience destinations beyond China.
Step on board and the New Year traditions are all here, just with an ocean view.
They range from intangible cultural heritage snacks like green rose and tang yuan to festival performances and fine dining experiences.
From Spring Festival Eve reunion dinner to global flavors, every meal is a celebration here.
And the Spring Festival dining packages are not just feeding families.
They are driving consumption, as the travelers are willing to pay more for variety and quality.
Cruise operators say the goal is clear a voyage that is more scenic, more consumer-friendly and more Chinese.
Today, travelers are moving beyond simple sightseeing and looking for more in-depth experiences.
Over the past year, we launched culture-themed voyages including Nian, Nian Dunhuang and Nezha Conquers the Dragon King.
And this spring festival under the theme Celebrating the New Year at Sea, and we've unpacked the whole journey with festive experiences.
With multi-home port operations planned year-round, the cruise experience is becoming a cultural exploration and a consumption upgrade for both domestic and international travelers.
From northeast to southeast Asia, ports are welcoming cruise ships based in China.
Chinese tourists are boosting local consumption, while spring festival sailings are also attracting international travelers, promoting cultural understanding.
During the spring festival travel season, Shanghai's water transport volume is expected to surpass 41 million passenger trips.
With cruise voyages and nighttime river tours.
For many travelers, short getaways are no longer enough.
Industry experts say voyages lasting seven nights or longer are gaining popularity as newly launched routes keep the experience fresh and attract a growing number of first-time cruisers.
That was B-Ran reporting.
Near of the Horus has been welcomed abroad with cultural events in many countries.
The China National Peking Opera Company staged performances in the Canadian cities of Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal and were acknowledged by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
At the Hague in the Netherlands.
The Jejungwu Opera Troupe was the climax of the New Year festivities.
In Singapore, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, Angola and South Africa.
Spring festival galas, temple fairs and cultural experiences have drawn large crowds and local dignitaries.
The Moscow Metro has held a launch ceremony for a spring festival-themed subway train, installing decorations of Chinese elements on the interior and exterior of the train carriages.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says the specially-themed train has added a festive atmosphere to the daily commute.
We know that Moscow citizens are very fond of this event, as it creates a certain mood and a unique atmosphere.
When stepping into the carriages, you can feel more strongly the festive ambience of the spring festival, which is significant to the people of Asian countries, especially the Chinese people.
Every year, over a billion people in China celebrate the traditional Chinese New Year.
Creating such beautiful festive atmosphere also brings us closer to China.
Decorations feature ancient poetry about the Spring Festival in Chinese and Russian and images of traditional Chinese culture.
Wednesday marks the second day of the New Year for the Han Chinese and the first day of the Tibetan New Year.
Wu Yunliu traveled to a Tibetan household in Gansu Prefecture in southwest China to see their unique celebrations.
In the heart of the Tibetan village in Zhulong Sichuan, the aroma of the New Year fills every corner of the plateau, signaling the arrival of one of the most significant and grand festivals for the Tibetan people Tibetan New Year.
Right before the New Year, a traditional horse racing event takes place, symbolizing progress and good fortune.
Against the majestic backdrop of snow-capped mountains, riders showcase their speed and skill, highlighting the unique charm of Tibetan culture.
My horse and I took first place together, and I'm so happy and thankful for this recognition.
Though both the Tibetan and Han people follow Lunar solar calendars, their rules differ.
This year, the Tibetan New Year's Eve coincides with the first day of the Han Chinese New Year, uniting two cultures in celebration.
It's now past midnight on the eve of the Tibetan New Year, and the blessing ceremonies have already begun.
We're on our way to collect sacred water, seeking good fortune for next year.
This tradition has lasted for over a century, as people pray for peace, good fortune and prosperity in the coming year.
By blowing the conch shell, we express our reverence for the divine and for nature.
In the morning, the family dresses in traditional Tibetan robes and adores themselves with jewelry.
I'm also fortunate to be wearing traditional Tibetan attire.
Meanwhile, preparations for the reunion lunch are on the way.
The highlight of this meal is a dish that symbolizes reunion, steamed buns.
During family reunions, we enjoy traditional steamed buns, which are also given as gifts to relatives and friends.
The fillings include potato, yak meat, mushrooms, and butter.
We invite our relatives to celebrate the new year with us.
As a homestay, we also welcome travelers who come to spend the holiday together with our family.
In the afternoon, the air is filled with high-pitched mountain songs and the lively Guozhong dance.
Men and women, young and old, come together, celebrating the holiday in the spirit of reunion.
From a variety of dishes replacing simpler meals to a shift from a farming economy to one enriched by culture and tourism.
The lives of the Tibetan people here are steadily rising.
With more visitors coming, our income has increased significantly.
About 50% of the villagers are now involved in cultural and tourism-related businesses.
Every aspect of Tibetan New Year radiates joy and unity.
It's a time to share happiness, embrace togetherness, and look forward to a brighter future.
That was Wu Yunliu reporting.
Coming up, more U.S.-mediated talks between Ukraine and Russia.
The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
Our new round of trilateral talks among Ukraine, United States, and Russia has concluded in Geneva.
The two-day negotiations were held behind closed doors.
Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said the talks lasted roughly two hours on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Ukraine's lead negotiator said practical issues were discussed, without providing details.
Russian news agencies reported negotiations were very tense.
U.S.
President Donald Trump has urged Kiev to act fast to strike a deal with Russia.
Dasha Chernyshova has more from Moscow.
Well, certainly we understand that Moscow is quite optimistic regarding this whole negotiating process, suggesting that these talks are moving forward.
The expanded format of Russia's delegation, which now includes the previous head of the delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, who is the aide to the Russian president, the deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Galudin, who is responsible for the community of independent states uh, the.
Their inclusion now in this new round of talks is indicating that a much broader range of issues is being discussed.
The kremlin has confirmed that the talks will be conducted for two days and therefore it is too early to speak about any sort of results on uh on tuesday, but nothing is expected to be leaked or transpired to the reporters.
The crown has indicated that these negotiations are closed from the media, but earlier some indications were that russia is willing to discuss the territorial issues among other demands that russia has on its part.
And obviously for russia it is quite important that all of the goals of what it calls its special military operation in ukraine are achieved through these diplomatic means.
This is something that president vladimir putin has been talking about his international counterparts over the course of the past weeks.
And certainly this is something that is on the minds of many of Russia's partners so that this negotiated process is actually achieving some sort of results.
But at the same time political analysts here are suggesting that their expectations are quite low because of the complexity of the nature of the issues that are discussed.
A second round of indirect talks between the US and Iran's concluded in Geneva, with both sides indicating progress in efforts to resolve their dispute over Tehran's nuclear program.
Iran's foreign minister says Tehran and Washington reached an agreement on a set of guiding principles, but he added a deal is not imminent, noting that narrowing the gap will take time.
Syed Abbas Arachi says they'll prepare a date for a third round after draft texts are exchanged.
U.S.
Vice President J.D.
Vance says some aspects of Tuesday's talks went well, but that Iran has yet to acknowledge President Donald Trump's red lines.
Julia Hamilton has more from Geneva.
Nuclear talks between Iran and the United States have concluded in Geneva.
Mediated by Oman and held at the Oman ambassadors to the United Nations residence.
The meeting was attended by Iran's foreign minister and Oman's foreign minister representing the US Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Reuters has quoted an unidentified US official as saying Iran will make detailed proposals in the next two weeks to address gaps in the talks and move forward.
The Geneva meeting follows the first round of indirect talks in Amman held on February 6.
This round of talks lasted about three hours, and afterwards the Iranian foreign minister made a statement at the disarmament conference at the United Nations office in Geneva.
He said that an understanding on main principles has been reached and that the path towards an agreement has started, but it doesn't mean it will be reached soon.
Iran has consistently pursued a strategy aimed at the peaceful use of nuclear energy, while demonstrating readiness to address any concerns regarding the nature of its nuclear program and to ensure its exclusively peaceful character.
It was on this basis that Iran entered into nuclear negotiations and has continued until very today.
A review of the course of these negotiations speaks volumes.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently affirmed that it neither seeks to manufacture nor to acquire nuclear weapons, which have no place whatsoever in Iran's national security doctrine.
The Iranian foreign minister also said that threats by the United States to use force against Iran must be brought to an immediate and unconditional end.
That was Julia Hamilton reporting.
Japan's parliament re-elected Sanai Takeichi as the country's 105th prime minister.
Takeichi, also president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, secured her appointment without a runoff vote in the lower house.
She then won the most votes in the runoff in the upper house.
The ruling.
LDP holds more than two-thirds of the seats in the powerful lower house after snap elections earlier this month.
Coming up, a historic medal for Team China at the Winter Olympics in Italy.
Sideline Story brings you all things sports related.
The hottest topics, latest events, juiciest stories, all with a very personal take.
Subscribe to Sideline Story podcast for heated sports discussions covering events that are happening in China and around the world.
24 past the hour.
Team Spirit and Unity powered China to a historic bronze medal in the men's team pursuit at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
China clocked three minutes and 4138 seconds, edging the Netherlands by just 009 seconds to secure its first ever Olympic podium finish in this event.
The four-skater squad includes Ning Zhongyan, Li Wenhao, Liu Hanbin, and Wu Yu.
Ning highlighted the importance of coordination, speaking after the race.
To achieve this result here is a great encouragement for the entire Chinese speed skating team.
This medal has great value for all of us.
We're gaining more confidence after beating the Netherlands, and this has greatly encouraged our young skaters and coaches.
We're glad to see the Chinese speed skating team making progress more in recent years.
Head coach Li Yan said fall-less timing and seamless transitions were key to this victory.
The medal won on the first day of the Chinese New Year marks a major breakthrough for China's speed skating program.
China's 2026 Spring Festival box office topped two billion yuan, or roughly 290 million US dollars, by Wednesday afternoon.
That's just four days into the nine-day holiday.
China's Spring Festival holiday period began on Sunday, and it's one of the most important periods in the world's second-largest film market.
A diverse lineup of films has debuted during this year's holiday movie season, including comedies action, animation and science fiction.
Explosions left 12 people dead at a fireworks retail store in Hubei province.
Emergency responders rushed to the site and extinguished the flames.
Investigations underway in Xiangyang.
China's green lending recorded strong growth in 2025, as more financial resources flowed into low-carbon sectors, boosting the country's green transition.
The People's Bank of China says the balance of green loans in local and foreign currencies reached nearly 45 trillion yuan, or about 65 trillion US dollars, at the end of last year.
That marked an increase of 20%.
During the 14th five-year plan period from 2021 to 2025, green loans expanded at an average annual rate of 30, and that was more than 20 higher than the growth rate of total lending.
Their share of overall loan balances also rose sharply, climbing from 7% to 16%.
The report says China is now among the world's largest green bond markets.
Japan recorded a trade deficit of nearly 1.2 trillion yen in January.
That's roughly 7.5 billion U.S. dollars.
The finance ministry says the deficit marks the country's first trade shortfall in three months.
Exports rose nearly 17% from a year earlier to 9.2 trillion yen.
The increase follows a 51 gain recorded in December, showing stronger overseas demand for Japanese goods.
However, imports fell 2.5% to over 10 trillion yen.
That compares with a 5.3% rise in the previous month.
Despite the solid export growth, the overall trade balance remained in negative territory as import values continued to outpace exports.
Analysts say currency fluctuations and global trends will remain key factors shaping Japan's trade performance in the months ahead.
Britain's annual inflation rate fell to 3% in January, down from 3.4% in December.
The Office for National Statistics reports that the consumer price index rose 3 over the past year, while monthly prices fell by half a percent.
Transport, food, and non-alcoholic beverages were the biggest contributors to the slowdown.
Core inflation, which excludes energy, food and tobacco, eased slightly to 3.1%.
Services inflation also moderated to 4.4%, down from 4.5%.
The drop to the lowest inflation level in months comes as the Bank of England holds its benchmark rate at 375.
Recent data shows rising unemployment and slow wage growth, suggesting weaker demand pressures.
Economists expect inflation to continue easing, raising the possibility of future monetary policy easing.
In Canada's Northwest Territories, officials and businesses are testing solar power in the sub-Arctic winter to reduce electricity costs and reliance on fossil fuels.
Much of the work is centered on Yellowknife, the territorial capital on the shore of Great Slave Lake, where winter temperatures often fall below minus 20 and they can drop to minus 45 Celsius.
Solar supporters note that the North's long summer days can make the technology viable, even if diesel and other conventional sources remain essential in wintertime.
Checking the forecast before we go for the day.
Beijing's down to minus 3 tonight.
It'll be sunny and 14 on Thursday.
Shanghai's down to 4, then overcast and 15.
Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 10 this evening, followed by cloudy conditions and 17.
Nanchang's down to 6, then cloudy and 11.
Lass is clear overnight, minus 3, sunny and 12 tomorrow.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad's at 11 overnight, then sunny and 23 for Thursday.
Vientiane's down to 19, then cloudy and 32.
Phnom Penh is 23 overnight, then overcast and 35 degrees.
And in Africa, Nairobi's getting overcast conditions and a high of 26 on Thursday.
And that's it for this holiday edition of the Beijing Hour.
Up next, our special series tracing the legacy of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Making news today, the Chinese president's exchanged New Year greetings with his old friends in Iowa as part of the ongoing holiday festivities.
On behalf of the staff, this is Shane Biggum in the Chinese capital.
Hopefully you'll join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour.
Shh, listen up.
Can you hear the heartbeat of our world?
It's vibrant and pulsating with the essence of life itself.
From the stem of trees to the gurgle of rivers.
From the silent strength of mountains to the icy whispers of glaciers.
Even the solid ground beneath our feet.
Right there, in the midst of all, beats the heart of humanity.
What if those other heartbeats were to stop?
Would ours keep on ticking?
Ever wondered what's actually going on in Africa through the perspective of an African?
How are things really going between China and Africa?
What's the narrative of this relationship?
Well, get a perspective with China Africa Talk.
Hear from African diplomats, entrepreneurs, academics, Chinese natives and more.
Get on our wavelength every week to find out what's real with China Africa Talk.
Find us on your favorite podcast.
We'll see you there.
Four years after Beijing 2022, the Olympic spotlights faded, but the passion for ice sports remains strong.
From frozen lakes steeped in tradition to Olympic venues reopened for public skating, the city's winter culture is flourishing.
Sideline Story host Yang Guang looks at how the Games continue to inspire participation, community and a lasting love of the ice.
Beijing's ice play tradition dates back to centuries ago.
In the Qing Dynasty, the royal court held the ice amusement ceremony each winter, an ancient version of the Winter Olympics.
Events like the aeroswift speed racing, the breathtaking ice slope sliding, showcased the remarkable skill and daring.
Places like Shichahai and the city moats became natural ice rinks.
People would link ice sleds into moving banquets, seen in dry play as they glided across ice.
Locals even invented their own moves, such as golden rooster standing on one leg and the phoenix spreading its wings, turning ice play into an art form.
The passion of Beijingers for ice has never faded.
It has become ingrained in the city's DNA.
When the deep cold sweeps through north China every winter, it locks the surface solid.
Xichahai ceases to be merely a scenic spot for photographers and becomes a communal living room, a dance floor, a free-form gymnasium.
Here, skating transcends being a seasonal hobby and a marker of identity.
For many, a winter without it is unimaginable.
Good morning.
Morning.
65-year-old Zhang Xin is a native Beijinger.
He lives in Hutong near Shichanghai.
Like many in the neighborhood, skating to him is one constant in a changing life.
I was in middle school when I first skated here.
We borrowed skates from older kids.
They were so precious, they wouldn't let us scratch the blades.
I lived near Tianhai, just to Hutong away.
And back then, there was wild ice, no one charging money.
I saved up every bit of pocket money, finally bought my first pair.
I still have them.
You take care of things differently when they are that hard-won.
That first hard-earned pair of skates was more than equipment.
It was a passport.
For John, that moment ignited a ritual that would become as regular as the sunrise.
The ice transformed from a playground into a non-negotiable appointment with himself and the elements.
Now it's my routine.
The moment the ice opens, I'm here every morning at 8am, like clocking in for a job I love.
I would skate 30 laps first, but it's not a solo act.
This is where my winter family gathers.
I see the same friends here every single season.
We're all in our 60s, 70s, some brave souls even over 80s.
There's an unspoken understanding.
If you can still lace up the skates and step into this ice, it's a certificate.
It means you're healthy in body and sharp in mind.
This ice is our annual health check.
When the 2022 Olympics arrived in Beijing, for traditionalists like Zhang, it wasn't an alien intrusion, but a powerful, validating echo.
The world was celebrating what had been his private winter joy for decades.
He noticed a tangible shift in the energy down at the lake.
The global event sent a ripple through the local scene, attracting new faces and new motivations to the old eyes.
After the Olympics, you could feel it.
More young people for sure.
Families, parents pushing prams with little kids, pointing at the ice.
They want their children to learn now.
Maybe ice hockey, maybe figure skating.
It planted an idea.
And watching those races at the Beijing Winter Games, especially the team pursuits, it gets your blood pumping in a different way.
It made our little hobby feel connected to something bigger.
Yet alongside this renewed vitality comes a quiet, persistent anxiety shared by all whose traditions are tethered to the rhythm of the natural world.
The very foundation of this centuries-old practice.
A reliable long, bitter cold winter is growing fragile.
When I was a boy, by late November, the ice was thick enough to walk on.
It was solid for months.
Now, we are lucky to get a few solid weeks.
It doesn't get that deep, lasting cold anymore.
We dream of 40 good days.
This year, maybe we got 20.
It makes you cherish every single session, because you don't know how many you'll get.
As alternatives.
In non-winter seasons, John would go to the indoor ice rinks to meet his skating addiction.
The National Speed Skating Oval the Olympic competition venue during Beijing 2022 is where he visits the most now.
Sometimes I go skating with them in the summer.
I use short track skates.
But later, since I often go to the Speed Skating Oval, I bought a pair of long track skates as well.
Many indoor ice rinks have been built.
You know, only when there's a demand can there be a market.
If you open a venue and no one comes to skate, you'll end up losing money, right?
According to data from the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau, Beijing's ice venues have expanded significantly since the city's Winter Olympics bid, growing from 42 ranks to 82 by 2022, providing convenience for citizens to enjoy ice sports, including skating OGs like Zhang Xin.
On the very same ice.
In Chichanghai, the skating tradition expresses itself in a completely different dialect.
For 78-year-old Li Dazhen, the blade is not a simple tool for transit, but a sculptor's chisel, a calligrapher's brush.
His connection to skating is athletic and deeply romantic.
For me, figure skating is the best of all sports.
It's art.
It combines athletic power with the grace of dance or set music.
That one perfect push and you saw, it's cultural.
Look at the old photographs from Weiming Lake at Peking University.
The scholars and students gliding there.
It has a history of elegance in Beijing.
The deep passion made Li a natural ambassador when Beijing embarked on its Olympic bid.
He became part of the grassroots tapestry of support, the living proof of a pre-existing ice culture ready to welcome the world.
He performed in promotional events for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
During the New Year transition after our Winter Olympics bid, one of the events was setting up an ice rink in front of the bird's nest.
They organized a group of about 10 to 20 people.
Some were professionals, while others, like me, were amateurs.
We marched around waving flags while they performed choreographed routines on the ice.
We all put in a lot of effort and felt truly joyful promoting the Games together.
The Olympic memory also made him a fan of watching figure skating competitions on TV.
I watched not just the Winter Olympics on TV, but also events like the World Championships and the Four Continents Championships.
I watched them all.
The skills on display are absolutely brilliant.
Weaving between these veterans, with their decades of muscle memory, are the tentative, exciting movements of the new blood.
These skating beginners are not drawn by family tradition or habits, but by a desire to physically connect with a piece of the city's living folklore.
Liu Yifan and Luo Chen are college students in Beijing.
To them, skating in Xichahai is a must-do in winter.
We were graduate students, only in Beijing for a couple of years.
This trip was an event.
We checked weather apps for a week, waiting for the perfect cold day.
Yesterday, it wasn't cold enough.
Today, we woke up at dawn, raced here on bikes.
Shi Xia Hai is iconic on social media.
Everyone posts these beautiful, fun videos.
You have to experience it.
The vibe here is completely different from an indoor mall rink.
It's alive.
You see people of all ages.
You can feel the history.
It feels like touching the real old Beijing.
Would I tell my friends to try?
Absolutely, but with a warning.
It's thrilling but humbling.
I've already fallen once today, but that's part of the fun, right?
This natural, often chaotic transfer of enthusiasm from one generation to the next doesn't happen by accident.
It's gently facilitated by guides who stand at the intersection.
People like coach Sun Dongxue, whose job is part instructor, part evangelist and part cultural bridge.
Shichahai really represents the Beijing culture.
I'm originally from the northeast where ice is in our blood.
But Xichahai, it has a different magic.
Teaching here feels like being part of that story.
It gives me a spark of pride.
Since the Olympics, I've definitely seen more curious families and more kids than now want to try.
But what really gets me is watching the older masters.
They skate past my wobbly students.
It's like a silent handoff.
That student might stick with it.
Grow up here.
That's real inheritance.
Every graceful arc carved on Shi Chahai's eyes, every moment of confident balance, every controlled staff depends on a fundamental, invisible prerequisite.
The perfect blade.
In just a short walk from Shi Chahai, I found a craftsman and his almost forgotten skill in sharpening ice blades.
For over 80 years in Beijing, the guardian of the blade has carried a title that sounds almost mythical.
Bin Da Wan. ice blade king.
His craftsmanship represents the story of the city's love for skating.
In a small honor museum hut nestled in the nearby Hutong, Wang Peizhi upholds a craft born from a stark necessity and refined through years of precise discipline.
His story is one of filial duty, obsessive perfectionism, and a race against time.
The craft started with my father in the lean years of the 1940s.
Shi Chaohai then was for the wealthy.
A pair of imported skates could cost the equivalent of gold.
My father saw that even the rich needed their blades sharp.
We set up a stone by the lake.
His work fed us.
A day's grinding might mean two pounds of cornmeal.
But it wasn't just about food.
He was a perfectionist.
People came to trust his hands.
They knew a blade from Bingdao Wang would last, would feel right.
That trust became our family's currency.
Wang Peiji is one of only few craftsmen in Beijing still sharpening ice blades by hand using a simple grinding machine.
His apprenticeship was not a casual transfer of knowledge.
It was a trial by fire, or rather by darkness.
His father's teaching method was brutal and poetic, designed to eliminate the very possibility of error.
It was a lesson in profound, almost a terrifying responsibility, where a single slip could mean a financial loss the family could not bear.
I remember when I was 13, 14 years old, my father woke me up one night, past midnight.
He said, you want to learn?
Come.
In the grinding shed.
He turned off the single bare bulb, used the sparks from the wheel to see the blade.
He said.
I thought he was mad.
He said, if your hand slips in the light, you ruin a man's treasure.
You cannot pay for it.
You must learn to feel the truth of the edge, not just see it.
I practiced like that for years, day and night, until the motion was in my bones.
My father did this for 69 years.
He never once made a mistake.
I've done it for 50.
That record, that trust is everything.
While we spoke, came Granny Liu Yanghe on her bike.
She has been going to Master Wang to sharpen her ice skates for decades.
I've been skating here since I was a kid, and I know Master Wang for quite some time.
Speaking of skating, sharpening your blades is just part of the deal, right?
You have to do it regularly, and no one else is going to do it for you.
You start by doing it yourself.
After trying a few times and not getting it quite right, you end up going to a master for a precision sharpening.
I usually just give mine a rough grind myself, leave the real work to professionals.
Master Wang's philosophy is the core of his resistance to the modern world.
In an age of automation, Wang's value proposition is the opposite of machine-like uniformity.
It is hyper-individualization.
Wang Pei-ju tunes an instrument to its specific player.
His hands and eyes perform a diagnostic reading the wear patterns on the steel, like a doctor reads a chart, then prescribing a custom match.
When the electric grinding machines arrived in the 90s, everyone was fascinated.
Fast, shiny, consistent.
Some thought our time was over.
My father said, watch and learn.
The machine only knows one setting.
But a skate blade is not a kitchen knife.
Every skater is different.
Weight, posture, skill level, whether they lean inward or outward.
My father's rule was qian dao qian ren, a thousand blades, a thousand edges.
I look at the person, I talk to them.
I look at their old blades, then I grind for them.
That's why they still come.
They bring me blades from other cities, bent blades, blades others say are finished.
They say find the ice blade king, he can fix it.
Wang says during the Winter Olympics in Beijing, he noticed new customers looking for his store.
During the Winter Olympics, with more people taking up skating, the number of customers needing blade sharpening grew a lot.
After that, pretty much everyone in Beijing who knew about us came to our place to get their skates sharpened.
Yet surrounding this master in his cluttered sanctuary, a de facto museum of skate design with century-old blades on the walls, is the palpable chilling air.
The ecosystem that sustained this craft for 80 years is disintegrating.
The long, reliable ice seasons that created steady demand are shortening.
The economics are brutal, soaring rents in Beijing against a seasonal customer base.
He's a living archive facing the threat of being archived himself.
The world is warmer now.
The eyes on Xu Chahai opens later, closes earlier.
My customer base shrinks every year.
I have to be honest.
Some years now, I don't cover the rent.
I lose money to keep this door open.
Why?
Because if I close it, this skill, this specific knowledge vanishes.
It's not just a job.
It's a threat to my father, to all the customers who trusted us.
Maybe it will make my son or someone's son feel the duty to continue.
This isn't about making a living anymore.
It's about keeping a light from going out.
This craft, it is the most fragile and durable thing I know.
From the intimate, shadowy world of the blade grinder, where light comes from sparks, I stepped into the vast, luminous and meticulously engineered chill of the National Aquatic Centre, reborn as the Ice Cube.
Once the swimming and diving competition arena at Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games, the Ice Cube was converted into the curling venue during Beijing 2022 and left with a winter touch after that.
This transformation is legacy in its most concrete, breathtaking form.
A stage built for the world's finest athletes, now consciously and creatively repurposed as a playground for the public.
It represents the promise of the Games made manifest, not just the 16 days of glory but decades of community utility.
Yang Wenting, manager of the venue's ice sports center, is one of the stewards of this new chapter, tasked with translating Olympic magic into everyday access.
Our curling rink has been open to the public for hands-on experience since the 2022 Winter Olympics.
All the equipment on the ice, The curling stones, foot grips, barriers and every facility are indeed the same ones used during the Games.
Every single curling stone here has been touched by an Olympic champion.
And besides the facilities and equipment, all our staff, including myself, served or participated in the Winter Olympics.
The spirit and legacy of the Games are truly embodied to the fullest in this very curling hall.
The crowds that flow through the ice cube tell a complex story of post-Olympic life.
It's not a monolith of beginners.
The data shows a fascinating mosaic.
Children in colorful helmets on weekend training courses, teenagers on dates, corporate teams building camaraderie and, perhaps most meaningfully, a significant number of older serious skaters.
These are the seasoned veterans from places like Shichahai who now have a majestic year-round home for their lifelong passion, free from the tyranny of weather.
We track over 100,000 visits annually since the venue was opened to the public in August 2022.
The diversity is key.
Yes, youth training is huge, the Olympic generation of participants, but my heart is always moved by our older skaters.
In 2023.
We hosted a special event during the Mid-Autumn Festival for a veteran ice hockey team men, mostly in their 60s and 70s.
To see them play with such joy and skill on Olympic ice.
It connected the past and present in a powerful way.
They come regularly now, buying annual passes.
We met a skater who embodies the full beautiful circle.
Fan Wenzhe represents the archetype who grew up on the rough and the tumble.
Windswept wild eyes of Shi Changhai left the practice behind for the demands of career and family and was drawn back to it and to its modern successor, an Olympic venue that transcends the label of hobby.
My skates first touched ice right out there on Shechang High a lifetime ago.
It was pure, simple fun.
Then life happened.
Career, family, distance.
I stopped for decades.
I returned to skating in my 50s after a serious health wake-up call.
After surgery, during recovery, I thought, what truly makes me feel alive?
The answer was on the eyes.
Now, it's not a hobby.
It's a core part of my wellness, my sanity.
I prefer the controlled environment indoors now.
No unpredictable wind, no dust ruin a fresh edge.
But the feeling is the same.
If I don't skate, I feel a part of me is missing.
With the seasoned perspective of someone who has seen the ice sports landscape across multiple eras, Fan observes the Olympic legacy not as a fleeting moment of excitement, but as a profound structural shift, effectively mending a generational gap in participation that had worried traditionalists for years.
It has become better these days.
Look at the infrastructure explosion.
New rings popped up everywhere.
Some have consolidated now, but the capacity is there.
And the kids.
Parents today have the means and the motivation.
They saw the Olympics.
They want their children to have that discipline, that grace.
The games broke the spell that skating was just an old man's pastime or an obscure professional sport.
It made it mainstream, aspirational, family-friendly.
It will build a bridge between generations that have been slowly crumbling.
On this pristine Olympic-grade ice, we also found those for whom the Games were a direct personal catalyst.
People like Jingjing.
For her, the allure of the ice cube is the sheer quality of the ice a consistent, flawless surface that is a luxury for any serious amateur working on technique.
This rink, first of all, has a very large ice surface, and the quality of the ice is excellent.
Another advantage is the affordable pricing.
Basically, a 20-session pass costs just over a thousand yuan.
For Beijing as a whole, that's quite a reasonable price.
The 2022 Olympics acted as a powerful accelerator for her journey.
She transitioned from an admiring spectator analyzing the performances of idols from past games to an engaged participant.
Watching the Winter Olympics really deepens my interest, especially since I've always been drawn to figure skating.
It was actually seeing those competitions that first inspired me to give it a try myself.
There have been so many memorable events.
I particularly enjoyed many of the programs at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, where the skating was so smooth and expressive.
I especially admire the pair skaters Sui Wenjing and Han Cong.
This time, at the Games, they came back to compete after originally retiring, true veterans returning to the ice, which made me follow their performances even more closely.
So what remains when the final analysis is written?
The answer we find is not etched in bronze or stone, but in something more temporal and yet more renewable ice.
The Olympics left behind a vital ongoing dialogue.
It is a conversation between two worlds the organic community-rooted, weather-dependent culture of Xichanghai and the world-class climate-controlled, accessible infrastructure of venues like the Ice Cube.
One does not replace or invalidate the other.
Instead, They exist in a symbiotic relationship.
Most of all, the legacy reaffirmed a powerful, beautifully simple idea that ice in all its forms belongs to everyone.
The Olympic flame, in its intense transient blaze, illuminated this fundamental truth for all to see.
And in its lasting afterglow, Beijing's winter culture is not a museum piece.
It is a living, breathing entity being actively, dryfully and collaboratively remade.
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He can't live without the Yellow River in his eyes.
The Yellow River is so noble and elegant.
Both my grandpa and dad made a living from the river.
Would you like to move away from the Yellow River?
I don't think I will.
I love it so much.
The Yellow River, the second longest river in China, is regarded as a shaping force in the history, economy and culture of northern China.
Today, about 100 million people live within its water basin, making up nearly 9 of the country's population.
How is climate change felt at its headwaters?
And what are the locals doing to cope with it?
What are the descendants of the boatmen doing?
What has kept some people from leaving their home village by the river?
And what has drawn others back?
Could the fading fishing community revive in a time of digital transformation?
From 2021 to 2024.
Our reporters visited the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, talked to the herders farmers boatmen, fishermen and eco-activists who share a close bond with the river, and present their stories in pictures, podcasts and videos, or in our 12-part series, The Yellow River Mosaic, available only on CGTN Radio.
