On the 6th, at a press conference held by the Heilongjiang Provincial Government Information Office regarding arrangements for benefiting people's livelihoods and promoting consumption in the commercial, tourism, cultural, and sports sectors during the 2026 Spring Festival holiday, Li Hao, Deputy Director of the Provincial Sports Bureau, delivered a keynote presentation on the progress and distinctive features of the "Ice Super" league.
Li Hao introduced that in December 2025, guided by the development philosophy that "ice and snow are also invaluable assets," the "Ice Super" league was launched, with a core focus on "shared participation by all, coordinated efforts across regions, and integrated development across industries." The "Ice Super" events have precisely established a three-tier competition matrix of "provincial leadership, city-level demonstration, and county-level popularization." This framework utilizes hundreds of provincial-level events to set benchmarks and build the brand, while thousands of city and county-level events engage communities at the grassroots level. The offerings include professional competitions such as International Ice Hockey Invitationals and Short Track Speed Skating Invitationals to meet competitive needs, alongside folk and fun activities suitable for mass participation, like ice sled races, ice sliding, and iron hoop rolling on ice, achieving the goal of being "friendly for all ages and accessible to everyone."
From a public benefit perspective, the "Ice Super" league has concretely implemented "inclusive benefits." Over 3,000 public ice and snow venues built across the province, 500 public ice rinks in Harbin, and the free provision of equipment like ice skates have established a "30-minute ice and snow sports fitness circle," removing barriers related to venue access and cost. Events are deeply integrated with scenic spots and communities; for instance, the public snow football tournament held at the Harbin Ice and Snow World and the ice running event at Jingpo Lake allow tourists to participate in competitions while enjoying ice and snow activities, offering a one-stop experience of "spectating + participating + touring."
The league provides a platform for professional talent from cities like Qitaihe, the "City of Olympic Champions," and Qiqihar, the "Ice Hockey City," while also promoting the in-depth development of the "Millions of Adolescents on Ice and Snow" campaign through dedicated youth events, thereby building a reserve force for winter sports and creating a virtuous cycle of public participation, competitive improvement, and talent selection.
The brand effect and comprehensive value of the "Ice Super" league continue to grow, demonstrating three distinct characteristics. First, the immersive integration of "sports + culture and tourism" encourages a shift for tourists from merely "viewing ice and snow" to "engaging with ice and snow," efficiently converting event attendance into increased cultural and tourism consumption. Second, the full-chain empowerment of "sports + industry" drives upgrades in the ice and snow equipment sector and spurs the development of related emerging industries. Third, the deep integration of "sports + health" guides public participation in winter fitness, thoroughly merging ice and snow sports with national fitness initiatives.
In terms of brand building and international exchange, the "Ice Super" league has also made breakthroughs. Leveraging support from the Olympic Council of Asia and authorization to use the emblem of the 9th Asian Winter Games, it has strengthened its international image and invited Olympic champion Zhang Hong to serve as its chief promotion ambassador. Successfully held events like the "Four Cities from China and Russia" Ice Hockey Invitational and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Ice Sports Demonstration Zone International Curling Invitational have established an open international platform for ice and sports exchange.
Responding to a question on how to attract broad public participation in winter sports, Deputy Director Li Hao stated that the enthusiastic uptake of the "Ice Super" events across the province, with high public participation and tourists flocking to join, is a result of the province capitalizing on its ice and snow resources through a series of concrete measures. These efforts comprehensively promote the popularization of winter sports, enhance service guarantees, and deepen the integration of culture and tourism.
Specifically, the province is focusing on three key areas to continuously inject vitality and attract participants to winter sports. First, it is deepening the construction of the event system to lay a solid foundation for mass participation. A province-city-county three-tier linked event platform has been established, driving the organization of over a thousand supporting events at the local level and forming a province-wide ice and snow sports network. To date, direct participation in provincial events has exceeded 240,000 person-times. Event programming balances professional competition and public experience, including both professional events like short track speed skating and folk fun activities like top spinning and ice dragon boat racing. Furthermore, the province is actively building accessible ice and snow facilities, with nearly 3,000 public venues established, enabling convenient participation right in local communities, truly bringing "ice and snow sports into communities, villages, and schools."
Second, service support capabilities are being strengthened to ensure a safe and comfortable participation environment. For venue保障, construction and maintenance of ice and snow venues are strictly regulated, high-quality venues from the Asian Winter Games are utilized, and emergency rescue equipment is deployed to ensure safety. For service support, peripheral facilities around event venues are improved, with rest areas, medical points, and information desks set up, offering considerate services like equipment rental and hot water supply. Regarding volunteer services, volunteers are recruited and trained to assist with event guidance and order maintenance, enhancing the participant experience through warm service.
Third, the integrated development of culture and tourism is being deepened to convert "visitor flow" into "extended stays." By introducing multiple cultural and tourism incentive policies, coordinating ticket discounts with some provincial scenic spots and ski resorts, and distributing cultural tourism consumption vouchers, the integration of ice and sports with cultural tourism consumption is promoted, driving the development of the entire ice and snow economy industrial chain. Folk customs are deeply explored, integrating the cultures of ethnic groups like the Hezhe and Oroqen with ice and snow sports, allowing participants to experience the cultural charm of Heilongjiang while engaging in activities. Additionally, leveraging the Olympic Council of Asia's support as an event partner and the authorized use of the 9th Asian Winter Games emblem helps strengthen the international brand image of "Ice Super."
With the extended Spring Festival holiday approaching, Deputy Director Li Hao also responded to public interest regarding sports events and activities suitable for tourists and residents during the period, introducing a series of sports festivities prepared by the province to enrich holiday life.
Li Hao stated that the province, leveraging its ice and snow资源优势, has meticulously planned multi-level sports activities covering mass participation, professional competition, and public welfare benefits, integrating sports into the traditional festival. For mass sports, under the core theme of "Everyone on Ice and Snow, Celebrating the New Year Joyfully," and utilizing local "Enjoying Ice and Snow" parks, over 300 easily accessible and fun public sports benefit activities will be widely organized. These activities focus on low-threshold events, encompassing classic fun activities like ice sliding and snow tube pulling, catering to all age groups for shared participation. Furthermore, various localities will innovate forms of ice and snow sports participation based on local characteristics, such as top spinning relay events in Suifenhe and Hegang, sustaining the momentum of the "Ice Super" league and continuously fostering an ice and snow sports atmosphere. All activities are free, require no professional equipment, and have no barriers to entry, allowing people to enjoy ice and snow fun near their homes and experience the festive atmosphere through sports.
For competitive sports, coinciding with the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics during the Spring Festival, the province will host provincial games winter sports competitions to actively create a strong atmosphere of public engagement with watching and appreciating the Olympics. As the culminating event of the holiday, the winter sports competitions of the 16th Heilongjiang Provincial Games will commence on February 24 at the Yabuli Ski Resort. Over 600 athletes from within the province will compete in events such as alpine skiing and cross-country skiing, presenting a high-level ice and snow竞技 feast for spectators.
Additionally, sports lottery will launch public benefit activities to add festive color. During the Spring Festival, the Heilongjiang Sports Lottery, under the theme "Sports Lottery New Spring Season," will carefully introduce two major惠民 activities, bringing luck and warmth to accompany the public's New Year celebrations.