Sichuan's national ice and snow season opens in Bipenggou

The 8th Sichuan National Fitness Ice and Snow Season kicks off on Monday at the Bipenggou ice and snow park in Lixian county, Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture, Sichuan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 8th Sichuan National Fitness Ice and Snow Season kicked off on Monday at the Bipenggou ice and snow park in Lixian county, Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture, Sichuan province.

Guests and tourists attending the opening ceremony enjoyed a variety of winter activities at the high-altitude park, including snowboarding, snow tubing, snowmobiling, and snow tank rides.

A cross-country skiing competition was also held on site for skiers and enthusiasts from Sichuan and the neighboring Chongqing municipality.

The organizers said that this year's season will promote the in-depth integration of winter sports with cultural, sports, and tourism consumption.

People enjoy winter sports on Monday at the opening ceremony of the 8th Sichuan National Fitness Ice and Snow Season at the Bipenggou ice and snow park in Lixian county, Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture, Sichuan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The three-month winter sports extravaganza will feature over 100 events, including ski mountaineering, alpine skiing, snowboarding, and speed roller skating competitions, as well as activities to promote winter sports in schools and professional training programs.

These events will cover 19 ski resorts and 12 ice rinks across the province, aiming to attract over 6 million participants for skiing, skating, experiential activities, and training, with expected economic benefits exceeding 100 million yuan ($14.3 million), the organizers said.

The annual ice and snow season was launched in 2019 by the Sichuan Provincial Sports Bureau. Official statistics show that the first seven editions cumulatively attracted over 57 million participants.