We're back and on the ice here in China for a national mass skating marathon that was held on Sunday in Shanxi Province. The event was held on the frozen Yellow River for the first time ever and it drew hundreds of skating enthusiasts to strap on their blades and have a good time. Hu Chao has more.

Skating on the frozen Yellow River. This is the 2017 to 2018 National Mass Speed Skating Marathon at the Laoniu Bay in Shanxi on Sunday. Around 300 skating amateurs and former professionals from across the country joined the one-day event. It's the first national skating race to be held on a frozen stretch of the Yellow River. Temperatures in the area have been around 20 degrees below freezing point, which is more than enough to keep the ice hard.

HU CHAO LAONIU BAY, PIANGUAN COUNTY, SHANXI PROVINCE "The ice on the Yellow River here is as thick as 60 centimeters to one meter, much thicker than the national standard of 15 centimeters. It's safe enough for sports activities."

Participants can't hide their excitement skating on the river.

DU YUQIN PARTICIPANT "I feel so happy. These are my skating shoes and I'm about to take part in the six-kilometer race."

YU CHUNLING PARTICIPANT "We're from Hebei Province and today we will take part in all the games. I feel so excited and it's so beautiful here."

Laoniu Bay is located at the intersection of the Yellow River and the ancient Great Wall. The frozen Yellow River here has become an ideal place for many winter sport lovers. After China won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, there's been a 30-percent increase in the number of people engaging in winter sports. 

YAO JIANHUA PARTICIPANT "We hope we can contribute to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and we call on more Chinese people to join winter sports."

LI ZHIXIN PARTICIPANT "We fully support China's goal to have 300 million people doing winter sports. We will teach more young people to learn skating."

Laoniu Bay is a poverty-stricken area. Its frozen attraction is helping bring in more money for locals.

WANG YUAN PIANGUAN COUNTY PARTY SECRETARY "Winter sports events held here will help boost local tourism. We hope more people come to do winter sports here so more villagers can be lifted out of poverty quickly."

Hu Chao, CGTN, Pianguan County, Shanxi Province.