Li Jian introduces sponge snowballs and their snowball target he designed at Liming Lake Park in Daqing, Feb. 11, 2023.
Daqing, the oil capital of China, also known as "City of Hundred Lakes," witnessed a competitive snowball fight.
by Dong Yixing, Wang Junbao and He Shan
HARBIN, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- How do you enjoy a snowball fight when there's no snow at all? Li Jian might have an answer for you.
Li Jian is an oil refinery staff member, a union leader in the factory, a sports enthusiast, a triathlete, and a promoter of ice and snow sports in northeast China's Daqing, Heilongjiang Province.
Known as the oil capital of China, Daqing is a famous industrial city with petroleum and petrochemicals as its pillar industries, where pretty much everyone in the city has relatives doing related work.
But Daqing didn't make its name until 1959 when the Daqing Oilfield was discovered by oil rig workers during a time when China was economically blockaded by Western countries.
Aerial photo shows the sunset view of Daqing Oilfield in Daqing, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, May 24, 2021.
Wang Jinxi, one of the first-generation oil rig workers after the founding of the People's Republic of China, managed to lead his colleagues to dig the first oil well within 124 hours and later devoted his life to the development of the petroleum industry, earning himself the nickname "Iron Man."
As a Daqing local, Li was born to an oil worker father so he couldn't be more familiar with the "Iron Man Spirit" and the "Daqing Spirit."
Growing up with a passion for multiple sports, Li got with a competitive snowball fight in Jilin Province in 2009, in which rules, scores and tactics are applied.
The feeling of winning with his team on ice and snow made Li feel that it was a sport worth promoting. After returning to Daqing, Li started to think about how to make it easier for more people to participate.
"Snow can only be seen in winter, and only in particular places. Sometimes snowballs made of real snow could contain pebbles or branches that could hurt people," Li explained. "So I thought sponge balls might be a better idea that people can play all year round and in a relatively safer way."
Li then began to design the ball, contact manufacturers and test different material compounds over and over again. The inherent "Daqing Spirit" has given Li a lot of tenacity.
Li Jian clocked his personal best of two hours 40 minutes and 46 seconds at the 1992 Beijing International Marathon with a 90th finish.
"It took five or six adjustments to finalize the material, after endless communication with athletes and manufacturers," Li recalled the process. "Many people didn't understand. But as a triathlete, I believe perseverance is the key."
In 2014, Li organized a snowball fight competition at his oil refinery and received positive feedback, which gave him much confidence to carry on the event. In the following years, more than 3,000 people participated in snowball fight competitions.
Besides oilfields, the Songnen Plain where Daqing is located has provided rich ice and snow resources with nearly 200 lakes in the area, earning the name "City of Hundred Lakes."
After Beijing won the bid to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Li felt like he should take advantage of Daqing's resources to engage more people in winter sports. Li then worked on perfecting the competition rules and received multiple patents in the following years, including the snowball appearance, competition rules, snowball targets and others.
On February 11 this year, a snowball fight competition involving more than 500 people took place on downtown Daqing's frozen Liming Lake, the largest ever event Li has organized.
Participants get ready for the opening whistle, Feb. 11, 2023.
"I've rarely seen this sport before, and it's really fun," said 11-year-old Liu Fengyi who came with her mom. "It tested my reaction speed and teamwork skills."
At the event, many parents expressed their love for the sport. Yang Xuewei, a resident of Daqing, said that experiencing the snowball fight competition can encourage children to go outdoors and exercise.
In the heaviest snowfall in Daqing this winter, Li was busy but satisfied. "The Beijing Winter Olympics has promoted the development of winter sports in China. As a sports enthusiast, I've benefited a lot."
"I believe I should also take responsibility for promoting ice and snow sports. The fact that so many people participated in today's event is an affirmation of our past work," said an emotional Li.
"Although the Beijing Winter Olympics is over, I hope more people can enjoy snowball fights and the fun of ice and snow sports in the future."
