On February 4th, a news conference for the 2024 Spring Festival Ice and Snow Cultural Activities was held at the Beijing Olympic Sports Center Area. A total of 13 ice and snow cultural activities will be organized by venues including the Bird's Nest, the Water Cube, the National Speed Skating Oval, the National Arts and Crafts Museum of China, and the Olympic Forest Park.

Dong Jian, Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Director of the Management Committee of the Beijing Olympic Sports Center Area, introduced that the Ice and Snow Season activities at the Olympic Forest Park will run throughout the Spring Festival period, covering a total of 130,000 square meters of snow fields and 100,000 square meters of ice rinks.

The first space-themed ice and snow park in China

After the Winter Olympics, the Bird's Nest underwent venue renovations and upgrades. This year's Bird's Nest Joyful Ice and Snow Season spans over 60,000 square meters, featuring more than 20 classic ice and snow games and exhibition projects. The Bird's Nest high platform can accommodate up to 200 people skiing simultaneously, making it one of the best beginner-level snow slopes within the Fifth Ring Road of Beijing.

Notably, this year's Bird's Nest Joyful Ice and Snow Season marks the first collaboration between the Bird's Nest, the International Cooperation Center of China Aerospace, and Aero Culture. Visitors sliding down the super ice slide can take photos with towering ice rockets, and even experience "interstellar crossing" in the solar system-themed hover balls. Additionally, a batch of mysterious space exhibits will be open to the public for the first time.

The opening hours of the Bird's Nest Joyful Ice and Snow Season are from 10:00 to 18:00. Depending on weather conditions, it will remain open until mid to late February. Citizens and tourists can purchase tickets and make reservations through the "Nest Ticket" WeChat applet, various mainstream online ticketing platforms, and their applets.

Dragon-shaped Water System Ice Rink to open for night sessions in the Olympic Forest Park

In this year's "7th Ice and Snow Carnival" at the Olympic Forest Park, there are over ten ice and snow entertainment projects for citizens and tourists to choose from. At the open-air theater in the southern part of the Olympic Forest Park and at the Aohai Lake, a dual-play setup of "skiing + ice skating" has been created. The Ski Resort in the Olympic Forest Park is open for play from 9:00 to 17:00 daily, while the ice rink is open from 8:30 to 17:00. The operating hours of the Olympic Forest Ice and Snow Park are from 10:00 to 18:00, and the activities will continue until mid-February. Visitors can purchase tickets online through platforms like Meituan or buy tickets on-site to enter the park.

The Beijing Investment Group Co., Ltd. has launched the "Dragon-shaped Water System Ice Carnival". The carnival covers a total area of about 90,000 square meters and features a professional skating rink and ice hockey area. It offers various activities such as ice biking, cartoon ice carts, electric sled dog carts, hover balls on ice, ice motorcycles, and ice bumper cars. The addition of night scenery lighting on Lake No. 6 has become a beautiful sight for nighttime visitors. The Dragon-shaped Water System Ice Carnival will continue until mid-to-late February, and tickets can be purchased online through platforms like Tongcheng Travel or on-site. The Lake No. 6 ice rink is open for park visits every day from 9:00 to 21:00, while ice rinks No. 1-4 and No. 7-8 are open from 9:00 to 17:00.

The National Aquatics Center, Water Cube, will host the "ICE CUBE Waterfront Winter Carnival", with visiting hours from 10:00 to 19:30 daily, continuing until the end of March. Tickets can be purchased offline. The National Speed Skating Oval is equipped with ice and snow amusement facilities suitable for all age groups. It has a 20-meter MINI children's snow tube slide designed specifically for children under 6 years old. Visiting hours are from 9:00 to 17:00 daily, and tickets can be purchased by following the "National Speed Skating Oval" official WeChat account.

Additionally, the National Tennis Center will host the "Dream-start Ice and Snow Study Camp", tickets for which can be purchased through the "Dream-start Parent-child Club" WeChat applet. Operating hours are from 9:00 to 17:00 daily, continuing until the end of February.

"Celebrating New Year in the Forbidden City" in the Bird's Nest

The Olympic Forest Park has also prepared a splendid and colorful cultural feast for citizens and tourists.

The grand exhibition "Celebrating New Year in the Forbidden City" has come to the Bird's Nest, integrating traditional New Year customs, digital interactive experiences, intangible cultural heritage experiences, and market experiences, using multimedia interactive methods to fully reproduce the New Year scenes of the Forbidden City.

At the scene, a "market street" tracing back to history is set up. Nine themed scenes use holographic projection, digital interaction, and other methods to digitally display the New Year artifacts preserved in the Forbidden City: the most detailed panoramic view of the Forbidden City, "Forbidden City Grand View", stunningly appears; scenes of "Lantern Festival Revelry" are recreated, allowing visitors to build a "digital snowman" with their own hands by traveling through time and space. Additionally, the exhibition will also restore the Qing Dynasty's New Year "Seven Nights Lantern Banquet" for the first time. The exhibition activities will continue until February 24th, with visiting hours on weekdays from 10:00 to 18:00 and on holidays from 10:00 to 19:30. Tickets can be purchased through platforms such as Tik Tok and Damai, or visitors can buy tickets on-site for admission.

At the China Arts and Crafts Museum, China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, a themed exhibition on the nationally representative intangible cultural heritage project "Zigong Lanterns" from Zigong City, Sichuan Province, will continue until March 9th (closed on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and regular closing days). Visiting hours are from 18:00 to 21:00, and tickets can be purchased online by following the "China Arts and Crafts Museum, China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum" official WeChat account.

The Lunar New Year Temple Fair Market held at the Beijing Olympic Tower recreates the lifestyle in Beijing, allowing visitors to experience the former life in hutongs. The event runs from February 2nd to February 25th, with operating hours from 10:00 to 20:00, and tickets can be purchased on-site.

Located in the golden latitude for skiing, Altay Prefecture in Xinjiang Autonomous Region offers prime skiing conditions. Dong Jian mentioned that the Beijing Olympic Park Management Committee will establish a strategic partnership with the Municipal People's Government of Altay to develop a multi-domain, multi-perspective, and comprehensive cooperation relationship.

Translator: JIANG Wenyi

Reviewer: ZHANG Bo