Ice rinks cool down Chinese fans in roasting summer

As of last October, around 346 million people in China have participated in winter sports since the country's successful hosting of the Winter Games. Thanks to high-tech facilities such as portable artificial ice rinks, artificial intelligence skiing simulators, and dry-land roller ski training methods, winter sports have also reached China's southern provinces, where snow and ice are rarely seen.

"The weather is scorching, so I've signed up for an indoor skating course," said Wang Tao, a middle school student in Nanjing, where the mercury is set to reach a record-breaking temperature of 42 degrees Celsius in the coming days.

"I love playing sports, so I can't let the hot weather spoil my summer vacation," Wang added, noting that ice-cool rinks have also become a summer resort for many people like him. "The ice rink refreshes you like having an ice cream."

"The room temperature of ice rinks is around 15 degrees Celsius. It can definitely keep you cool in summer," said Yuan Jun, manager of an ice sports club in Nanjing.

"And it's pretty cool to master some ice and snow sports," Yuan said, adding that the number of people coming to his club this summer has increased a lot compared to previous years. The club now sees over 600 customers at weekends.