HARBIN - Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin on Friday night during a festive ceremony highlighting the city's ice and snow culture.

Over 8,000 spectators at the Harbin International Conference, Exhibition and Sports Center burst into cheers as Xi officially declared the Games open in the presence of visiting dignitaries including International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

The opening ceremony reached its climax as four torchbearers - two-time Olympic champion and short track speed skater Yang Yang, China's first male Winter Olympic gold medalist and freestyle skier Han Xiaopeng, Olympic race walk champion Wang Zhen, and Sochi Winter Olympics speed skating champion Zhang Hong - joined by children holding ice lanterns, lit the lilac-shaped cauldron at opening ceremony's sub-venue, Harbin Ice and Snow World, the world's largest ice and snow theme park.

Running from February 7 to 14, the Harbin Games, with the slogan "Dream of Winter, Love among Asia" represents another major international winter sports event hosted by China following the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. It also marks the country's third time hosting the Asian Winter Games, following Harbin 1996 and Changchun 2007.

A record 34 countries and regions are competing in Harbin 2025, surpassing the previous high set at the 8th Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan in 2017. Over 1,200 athletes are participating in ice events in Harbin and snow events in Yabuli, marking an increase from the previous record of 1,147 at the Sapporo Games.

Amid roaring cheers from the venue audience, star speed skater Ning Zhongyan and skier Liu Mengting, who made history by winning the women's big air gold at the FIS Freeski World Cup in January, bore the Chinese national flag during the athletes' parade.

The Chinese delegation is composed of 257 members, including 170 athletes. Five Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic champions, Xu Mengtao, Qi Guangpu, Gao Tingyu, Fan Kexin and Liu Shaoang headline the squad of 85 men and 85 women that cover 64 events across six disciplines.