The temperature at the Dongdatan Reservoir in Qinghai Province has dropped to over minus 20 degrees Celsius, but outdoor ice and snow sports enthusiasts have not been deterred by the bitter cold of winter. Activities such as fancy curling, ice tug-of-war, and a 100-meter ice sled relay are full of energy.
The Dongdatan Reservoir is located in Haiyan County, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. The ice activities on the 20th attracted more than 100 ice and snow enthusiasts from clubs inside and outside Qinghai Province.
Yang De from Haiyan County, Qinghai Province, was participating in the 100-meter speed race for single-person ice sleds. Sitting on an ice sled made of wooden boards, he vigorously wielded an iron stick as he raced toward the finish line. Despite his hair and eyebrows being covered in icicles, the freezing temperatures did not affect his performance. Outside the arena, cheers and encouragement filled the air, creating an exceptionally lively atmosphere.
“When I was a child, there weren’t many sports activities, so skating was the most fun thing for my friends in winter. Today’s ice sled ride felt like taking me back to my childhood,” said Yang De.
Zhao Haixia, 50, took part in ice bowling. She was seen holding a 1.5-pound solid ball in her right hand and hurling it forcefully toward ten frozen beverage bottles. The solid ball became a bowling ball, the wooden lane was replaced by ice, and the frozen bottles stood in for bowling pins. Participants enjoyed the activity while praising the creativity of the organizers.
Also full of creativity was the fancy curling. Here, the homemade “curling stones” were nothing more than iron bowls that had frozen over. Participants used standard techniques to slide the bowls into the red line 7–8 meters away, displaying a level of concentration no less than that of professional curlers.
“These creative sports activities are the result of everyone’s ingenuity. They allow us to take part in activities usually done indoors, out in the open. There’s nothing we can’t do if we can think of it,” said Zhao Haixia.
During breaks in the activities, accompanied by the music of “Gangnam Style,” everyone danced the horse-riding dance. In the distance, some self-driving tourists played car drifting on the ice. To push everyone’s enthusiasm to the limit, these fearless “warriors” formed groups of five to jump rope on the ice. The outcome was predictable—people fell and ropes tangled—but laughter echoed across the Dongdatan area.
It is reported that since the start of winter, Qinghai Province has launched a variety of winter ice activities: winter skiing, New Year’s ice trekking on Qinghai Lake, ice and snow motor challenges, and more. These aim to leverage the unique resources of the plateau and encourage more outdoor sports enthusiasts to step out of their homes and experience the joy of ice sports.
Yang Pei, Deputy Director of the Qinghai Provincial Sports Bureau, said that Qinghai Province, home to Qinghai Lake, the Qaidam Basin, and Gangshika Snow Mountain, has natural advantages for developing winter sports. In the future, more funds will be invested to build a highland-characteristic brand for winter outdoor sports.
Yang Pei said, “Our goal is to get more people involved and let them enjoy the happiness that sports bring.”