2025 Asian Winter Games likely to have record number of participants

Wednesday marked the 30-day countdown to the 2025 Asian Winter Games that will take place in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

One day earlier, the organizing committee briefed on the preparations for the Games at a press conference. The Games will begin on February 7 and end on February 14. Considering the number of participating teams in the ice hockey and curling events, these competitions will start on February 3 and 4. The first gold medal will be awarded on February 8.

For the first time, Cambodia and Saudi Arabia will send athletes to the Asian Winter Games. So far, there have been a total of 1,275 athletes from 34 countries and regions who have registered, making it likely to have the most participants in Asian Winter Games in history.

Sha Xiaolan has been appointed as the chief director of the opening and closing ceremonies at the Harbin International Conference, Exhibition and Sports Center. His creative team was in charge of the two ceremonies for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2022.

The theme of the Asian Winter Games, "Dream of Winter, Love among Asia," is both the official slogan and the creative theme for the opening ceremony performance.