Discover China: Olympics ignites children's passion for winter sports

Although China is a latecomer to the world of winter sports, it has pledged to have "300 million people involved in snow and ice sports events" while it is preparing for the Winter Olympics.

BEIJING - Wearing a pink ski helmet, 12-year-old Ruan Jiahui tried to keep her balance while smoothly navigating her way down a ski slope in Yanqing, a suburban district of Beijing.

Red-faced and sweaty, Ruan and her 40-plus classmates have attended a skiing course every Tuesday at the Vanke Shijinglong Ski Resort, more than 40 minutes' drive from their primary school in Yanqing.

After three courses, Ruan mastered basic skiing skills such as stopping and turning. "I'm no longer afraid of the high slopes now," she said.

Ruan's hometown Yanqing was thrust into the global spotlight when Beijing and Zhangjiakou in neighboring Hebei Province won their co-bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in 2015. Yanqing is set to host the alpine skiing, bobsleigh and luge competitions during the games.

Although China is a latecomer to the world of winter sports, it has pledged to have "300 million people involved in snow and ice sports events" while it is preparing for the Winter Olympics.

The games have ignited unparalleled enthusiasm for winter sports among kids and teenagers in the country.

Every winter since 2014, Yanqing has offered skiing courses for around 3,000 local students at ski resorts. By the end of 2019, more than 16,000 students had been covered by the project.

"Most students in my school come from rural areas. They had no chance to participate in winter sports in the past. Skiing can keep their body and mind strong and ignite their passion for the coming games," said Zhang Wenxue, a teacher from Liubinbao Central Primary School in Yanqing.

Besides skiing, other winter sports such as speed skating and ice hockey have also gained popularity among children and teenagers. Around 5,000 students across Yanqing have learned to ice skate since 2017, according to the district's educational authorities.