BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- One year after Beijing hosted the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, enthusiasm among Chinese people for winter sports shows no sign of abating.
As a latecomer in winter sports, China has been leveraging the Games' legacy to become a winter sports power.
Now, all competition venues are being properly used by the public and local athletes, and wide-ranging social and economic benefits are being reaped.
Big Air Shougang, a Beijing 2022 Games venue repurposed from a steel mill, has been turned into an outdoor sporting resort that operates year-round.
The National Aquatics Center, dubbed as the "Ice Cube" to host the Beijing 2022 curling competitions, has been used for both elite-level sports and tourism purposes.
Also as a swimming and diving venue at Beijing 2008, the center provides swimming pools for visitors as well.
Meanwhile, people's love for winter sports has been spreading.
This year, many people chose to spend their seven-day Spring Festival holiday at ski resorts.
The mushrooming interest in winter sports has driven consumption in related fields.
According to a recent report released by Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, the market size of China's ice and snow industry is expected to surpass 1 trillion yuan (about 145.8 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025.
By then, about 5,000 schools across China are set to include winter sports in their curriculum.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
