A playground of snow and ice

China's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics has interest in snow sports booming. Photo provided to China Daily

Workers Stadium is among other iconic venues promoting both winter sports and China's new Olympic bid.

"We want to represent the winter Olympic hopes of Beijing's 6 million (government-supported) workers," Beijing Workers' Sports Complex director Yuan Hao says.

The stadium has hosted a snow festival for the past three years on its 30,000-square-meter lake formed during its construction half a century ago.

The event offers such recreational opportunities as dogsledding and skating. But this year for the first time it also features displays of ice lanterns and sculptures, and cloth lanterns fashioned in the traditional style of Sichuan province's Zigong city.

The 8,000-square-meter soccer field has been covered with LED peach blossoms.

"We've extended the ice rink's hours," Yuan says.

"So visitors have time to do winter sports and enjoy the exhibitions."

Artworks represent the specialties of Beijing and Heilongjiang's provincial capital Harbin. Chiseled in ice are the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City's Nine-Dragon Pillars. Also rendered are Harbin's Sophia Cathedral and old railway station.

The display also features ice carvings of previous Winter Games' emblems and torches.

"As a Beijinger, I support China's Olympic bid," Dong says, emphasizing she's speaking for herself and not her employer.

"My friends like skiing and skating. If China wins the bid, the government will pay attention to building infrastructure. There will be more places for residents to participate in winter sports."