With mascots greeting visitors and competition venues prepared in optimal conditions, "Ice City" Harbin launched its one-month countdown to the 9th Asian Winter Games on Tuesday.

1月7日，随着吉祥物迎接八方来客，比赛场馆准备就绪、条件完备，“冰雪之城”哈尔滨正式启动了第九届亚洲冬季运动会的一个月倒计时。

Already a popular tourism destination in Northeast China, the capital of Heilongjiang province is buzzing with more excitement this winter as it enters the homestretch of preparations for hosting the Games, which will open on Feb 7.

作为中国东北的热门旅游目的地，黑龙江省省会哈尔滨进入亚冬会筹备冲刺阶段，让这个冬天更加热闹非凡。本届亚冬会将于2月7日开幕。

Relying on its abundant winter sports facilities and the rich experience gathered when hosting the event for the first time in 1996, the city is confidently pushing ahead with the final preparations, according to the organizing committee.

据组委会介绍，哈尔滨拥有丰富的冬季运动设施，且曾在1996年首次成功举办亚冬会，积累了丰富经验，因此该市正以充足的信心推进最后的筹备工作。

Harbin's encore as a host will help cement its status as an international sports hub and winter tourism wonderland for both domestic and overseas visitors, it said.

组委会表示，哈尔滨再次作为东道主举办亚冬会，将有助于巩固其国际体育中心和冬季旅游胜地的地位，吸引国内外游客的到来。

"I believe with all our efforts, the city will build an excellent stage for Asia's best winter sports athletes to demonstrate their talent and present ice and snow sports fans with an unforgettable treat," Li Guang, competition director of the Harbin 2025 Asian Winter Games Organizing Committee, said at a news conference on Tuesday.

“我相信，通过我们的共同努力，哈尔滨将为亚洲最优秀的冬季运动员搭建一个展示才华的绝佳舞台，并为冰雪运动爱好者带来一场难忘的盛宴。”1月7日，哈尔滨2025年亚洲冬季运动会组委会体育竞赛部部长李光在新闻发布会上说道。

The 2025 Harbin edition of the Games will mark the largest representation of Asian countries and regions, with 34 national Olympic committees—the most in the event's history—having confirmed their participation, including Cambodia and Saudi Arabia, which are taking part for the first time.

2025年哈尔滨亚洲冬季运动会将是亚洲国家和地区参赛规模最大的一届，已有34个国家奥委会确认参赛，创历届亚冬会之最。其中，柬埔寨和沙特阿拉伯将首次参加亚冬会。

A total of 1,275 athletes have signed up to compete in 64 medal events across six sports through Feb 14, according to the organizing committee. Among the events, mixed doubles curling, ski mountaineering and synchronized freestyle skiing aerials will make their debut at the Games, it revealed.

据组委会介绍，共有1275名运动员报名参赛，争夺6大项64小项的奖牌，比赛将持续至2月14日。其中，混合双人冰壶、滑雪登山、自由式滑雪空中技巧的双人同步将首次亮相亚冬会。

All 13 pre-existing competition venues—five for ice sports in downtown Harbin and another eight for snow events in Yabuli, a ski resort cluster located 200 kilometers from the provincial capital—have completed renovation and equipment upgrading to meet international standards. The venues are currently fine-tuning services and operations based on feedback from seven test events held last year.

所有13个原有比赛场馆——其中5个冰上运动场馆位于哈尔滨市内，8个雪上运动场馆位于距省会200公里的亚布力滑雪度假区——均已完成改造和设备升级，以达到国际标准。目前，这些场馆正根据去年举办的7场测试赛所收集的反馈进行服务和运营的微调。

Seven more test events, all for snow-based sports, will continue examining facility readiness, staff training and service protocols at the venues over the next two weeks, in order to ensure "no stone is left unturned" to guarantee the best possible experience for all participants, said Li.

李光表示，接下来两周内还将举办7场雪上运动测试赛，继续检验场馆的设施准备情况、人员培训和服务流程，以确保“面面俱到”，为所有参赛者提供尽可能最佳的体验。

To address various challenges triggered by Harbin's cold weather, particularly those related to traffic during the Games, the city has mobilized over 40,000 sanitation workers, deployed 1,700 sets of cleaning machinery and prepared over 4,000 metric tons of eco-friendly snow-melting agent, according to the city's urban management bureau.

据哈尔滨市城市管理局介绍，为应对哈尔滨寒冷天气带来的各种挑战，特别是赛会期间的交通问题，该市已动员4万余名环卫工人，部署了1700余套清洁设备，并准备了4000余吨环保型融雪剂。

The primary objective is to keep main roads and transport hubs near the competition venues clean and dry even if there is heavy snowfall, said the bureau.

管理局表示，首要目标是确保即使遇到大雪天气，比赛场馆附近的主干道和交通枢纽也能保持清洁和干燥。

Tang Kexin, head of the bureau, said: "We've done three rounds of snow-removing drills so far this winter, with the efficiency of the staff very much improved. We will pile up excess snow in some areas though to keep the city's winter characteristics within the reach of visitors."

管理局局长唐可欣说：“今年冬天我们已经进行了三轮除雪演练，工作人员的效率有了很大提高。不过我们仍会在一些区域堆积多余的雪，以便让游客能触碰到这座城市的冬季特色。”

The organizing committee also announced on Tuesday that the highly anticipated opening ceremony of the Games has been rehearsed under the guidance of Chief Director Sha Xiaolan, who was the architect of the well-regarded opening and closing ceremonies of the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.

1月7日，组委会还宣布，备受瞩目的亚冬会开幕式已在总导演沙晓岚的指导下完成排练。沙晓岚曾担任广受好评的2023年杭州亚运会开闭幕式的总制作人。

The opening ceremony will take place at the Main Media Center.

亚冬会开幕式将在主媒体中心举行。

"Since November, the rehearsals have been running at multiple locations simultaneously. We are confident that the opening show will demonstrate the Chinese spirit in the new era, while extending our sincere wishes to build a harmonious Asian communi