The 9th Asian Winter Games (AWG) came to an end in Harbin

The 9th Asian Winter Games (AWG) came to an end in Harbin, also known as the ice city, in China’s Northernmost province of Heilongjiang on Friday, with a grand closing ceremony held to show respect for athletes attending the sports event and expectations for prosperity and development of Asia.

Running from Feb 7 to 14, the Harbin Games has gathered a record 1,222 athletes from 34 nations and regions, marking the country’s third time hosting the AWG, following Harbin 1996 and Changchun 2007. The Games featured six sports, 11 disciplines and 64 events.

Xu Mengtao, who won two gold medals and one silver for the Chinese team in the freestyle skiing aerials events, served as China’s flagbearer at the closing ceremony. The 2029 Asian Winter Games will be held in Trojena, Saudi Arabia, marking the first time the event is hosted in West Asia.