The Chinese capital of Beijing is embracing one of its biggest winter festivals as the second "Meet in 2022" Ice & Snow Cultural Festival opened at the Olympic Park on Thursday. It will run through February 8. 

Two major Olympic venues are open to winter sports lovers: The Bird's Nest and the Water Cube, offering diversified activities, ranging from skiing and curling to ice hockey and snowboarding.

As one of the warm up events for the 2022 Winter Olympics, the two-month-long festival also will feature cultural activities, exhibitions and immersive VR experiences, such as crossing rope bridges over snowy mountains. 

The Water Cube - the curling venue for the 2022 Winter Olympics - opened its Olympic-standard ice arena for curling on December 9 and will remain open until Wednesday. A 900-square-meter rink is also available for ice skating and ice hockey.

In its grand arena of more than 60,000 square meters, the National Stadium, or better known as Bird's Nest, will offer more than 20 activities, such as cross-country skiing, snowboarding and war games in snowfield. 

The event is sponsored by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and co-hosted by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau, Beijing State-owned Assets Management Co, Ltd and Beijing Investment Group Co Ltd, among others.

(Cover: 2nd Ice & Snow Cultural Festival opens in Beijing. /VCG Photo)