Xinhua News Agency, Geneva, February 1 (Reported by Shan Lei) To mark the one-year anniversary of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) published on its official website an article entitled “Beijing 2022: A year on, Chinese people enjoy winter sports, reaping social and economic benefits created by the Olympic Winter Games.”

“The first city ever to hold both the Summer and Winter Games, Beijing delivered spectacular Olympic Winter Games last year, while managing to engage almost 350 million people across China in winter sports. The Opening Ceremony held at the Bird’s Nest, a legacy venue from Beijing 2008, kicked off nationwide excitement for winter sports.”

A screenshot of the IOC website

According to the article, the aim to establish China as a snow and ice destination had already been achieved before the Games began. By the beginning of 2021, the country had already built 654 standard ice rinks, and 803 indoor and outdoor ski resorts. According to the China Tourism Academy, during the 2024-2025 ice and snow season, China’s winter leisure tourism sector is expected to have welcomed more than 520 million visitors and earned revenue of more than RMB 720 billion.

The vigorous development of winter sports has brought about social progress in many aspects. “The mushrooming growth of this sector has had knock-on benefits for health and leisure, society and the broader economy. For example, for those living in areas surrounding the venues, the Games have created some 81,000 new job opportunities,” according to the article.

“Beyond staging spectacular Games, Beijing 2022 was laser focused on delivering lasting social and economic benefits for its residents – in line with Olympic Agenda 2020+5,” said Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games Executive Director. “One year on, the most outstanding feature of these Games is the way they touched the lives of millions of local people by making them discover the world of winter sports. The organizers also made sure the Games minimized their impact on the environment by prioritizing the use of existing venues, using renewable energy to power all the venues, and implementing innovative technology, such the CO2 refrigeration systems that will help make winter sports more sustainable.”

A child skating at the National Speed Skating Oval. Photo credit: Zhang Chenlin, Xinhua News Agency

The IOC also praised China for the reuse of venues after the Winter Games: “One year on, Chinese residents can already visit, use and enjoy the Beijing 2022 Olympic venues.” The article cites an example: The National Aquatics Center, known as the “Ice Cube,” has seen massive public interest, with more than 3,000 visitors on day one of its opening, earning it the nickname of “the hottest ice” in Beijing. The Big Air Shougang has attracted a lot of visitors who can jump onto a large inner tube to slide down the lanes of the, and this iconic venue converted from a former steel mill is now used as both a sports facility and a vibrant culture hub. The Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou has hosted some 30 events, and is now one of the busiest venues built for the Beijing 2022 Games.

“Beijing is committed to making increased use of all its venues, encouraging their multiple, year-round use and upgrading facilities to expand capacity and improve their quality. Rebuilding old factory workshops, warehouses and commercial facilities into indoor winter sports venues has also been recommended by the local authorities,” the article adds.