The 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025 was successfully held in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, from February 7 to 14. This ice and snow feast is not only a stage for Asian athletes to showcase their competitive prowess, but also a window for the concentrated display of technological innovation achievements. The numerous technological innovations at the Games have brought brand-new development opportunities and far-reaching impacts to Asian ice and snow sports.

The 2025 Asian Winter Games at the main press center in the Main Media Center (MMC) in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Feb 5, 2025.

(PHOTO / XINHUA)

This year's event was the first Asian Winter Games to achieve 100 percent green electricity supply during the construction and renovation of competition venues and supporting facilities, as well as during test events and the main competition.

All five venues for ice events were upgraded using existing facilities, emphasizing “energy-saving, environmental friendliness, and low carbon emissions.” There was heavy investment in new technologies, materials, and designs in aspects such as insulation, lighting, and refrigeration, according to the Harbin 2025 Asian Winter Games organizing committee.

For example, to ensure the upgraded venues can be safely used, the event organizers applied a pollution control spray independently developed by the Harbin Institute of Technology. This advanced coating, when applied to building and furniture surfaces using high-pressure spraying, rapidly forms a 20 to 30 micrometers-thick protective layer.

Utilizing polymer surface coating technology, the spray integrates polymer nanomaterials and organic polymers to create a dense network structure. This film effectively locks pollutants, preventing their release and significantly reducing harmful volatilization.

Moreover, this spray also provides long-lasting surface disinfection for over three months, with a bactericidal and fungicidal rate exceeding 99.99 percent. Furthermore, relevant experiments have proven that this spray is non-toxic, harmless, and non-irritating.

The 5G-A network is also a major highlight of this Asian Winter Games. As a crucial stage in the development from 5G to 6G, 5G-A features significant improvements in network speed, intelligence capabilities, and other aspects.

With the support of millimeter waves, 5G-A can achieve peak rates of 10 Gbps for downlink and 1 Gbps for uplink, with millisecond-level latency, as well as higher precision positioning and greater reliability.

The high speed and low latency characteristics of the 5G-A network enable audiences to enjoy more smooth and clear live event broadcasts. Whether watching on-site or through mobile devices, they can feel the excitement of the event. This helps to attract more audiences to pay attention to ice and snow sports and stimulate their enthusiasm for participating in ice and snow sports.

The application of technology in ice and snow equipment, venue facilities, and other areas has lowered the barrier to participation in winter sports, making them more accessible to a wider audience. This, in turn, has promoted the popularization and development of ice and snow sports across Asia.

Given the complex and variable meteorological conditions in Harbin and its surrounding competition zones, reliable weather support was essential during the Games. The meteorological emergency command vehicle was deployed, equipped with advanced monitoring instruments and data processing systems, which collect real-time data on temperature, humidity, wind speed, and precipitation.

Maintenance team members work on an automatic meteorological station.  

(PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)

It is also equipped with a consultation system and remote communication devices, allowing it to interact in real-time with the event command center, providing decision-making support to the organizing committee.

Additionally, a new generation of weather radar was utilized to enhance forecasting accuracy. By emitting electromagnetic waves at specific wavelengths and analyzing the echo signals reflected from meteorological targets such as clouds, rain, and snow, the radar provided critical data for event planning and safety measures.

It detects the meteorological conditions in the competition venues and surrounding areas, accurately monitoring precipitation intensity, range, and movement direction. It provides early warnings for potential severe weather, such as heavy snowfall, and trends.

Furthermore, it measures wind field information in the atmosphere, including the vertical distribution of wind speed and direction, offering precise meteorological data support for events like alpine skiing and ski jumping.

In terms of services to the audience, technological innovation is also everywhere. The 5G-IoT technology, namely 5G RedCap, has played a significant role in the ticket checking area of the Games.

The RedCap terminal has reduced the proportion of manual ticket checking and improved the ticket checking efficiency. At the same time, RedCap monitoring terminals are also used for venue maintenance, enabling intelligent adjustment of lighting and temperature control systems.

With the implementation of the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, more foreign tourists are coming to China to experience the charm of ice and snow, injecting new momentum into the global tourism market.

It is predicted that by 2030, the scale of China's ice and snow economy will reach 1.5 trillion yuan ($200 billion), opening new avenues for economic development in Asia and the world.

The application of the abovementioned advanced technologies enables event organizers to manage venues, ensure athletes' and the audience's safety, and monitor network operations more efficiently. These advancements have not only enhanced the quality and influence of this Asian Winter Games, but also paved the way for future developments, unlocking endless possibilities for the growth of winter sports across Asia.

Given the success of the Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025, the future of Asian ice and snow sports promises to be even more dynamic and brilliant, with the application of an increasing number of sci-tech innovations.

Source: VOC