The 11th National Public Ice and Snow Season will begin on Dec 21 with a grand opening ceremony in Hulunbuir, northeast of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The National Public Ice and Snow Season, held for 10 consecutive years, is China's most extensive, inclusive, and influential grassroots ice and snow sports initiative. It has become a key platform for promoting and popularizing winter sports nationwide.

This year's Ice and Snow Season will focus on meeting the public's diverse needs for winter sports. The initiative will expand recreational events, build more accessible sports facilities, and develop a service system at the grassroots level for ice and snow sports.

The goal is to engage more people, especially young people, in winter sports and showcase the vibrant new era of China's ice and snow movement in the post-Olympic era.

It will feature 1,853 events nationwide, including 820 ice and snow competitions, 655 ice and snow recreational activities, 378 ice festivals and other comprehensive events. This range of activities reflects China's growing enthusiasm for winter sports.

To foster a vibrant atmosphere, a series of activities will be held at sub-venues in municipalities and provinces such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Ningxia on the same day as the opening ceremony.

Various cities and leagues within Inner Mongolia will also hold local celebrations and ice and snow events to mark the start of the season.

Hulunbuir, known for its "most beautiful grasslands" and exceptional ice and snow resources, is also the host of this year's 14th National Winter Games. The city's rich natural environment and strong ice and snow culture make it the perfect backdrop for the opening of the 11th Ice and Snow Season.