Those were the ideas I had before visiting Changchun, a city renowned for its winter activities and snow art. I quickly realized how wrong those impressions were.

After arriving at the airport, the promise of a pleasant trip increased just a few minutes' drive away as the sight of a beautiful rainbow arc light set in a green field was as shining and colorful as the city itself.

The name Changchun explains it all. It means "Forever Spring" and the city is pleasantly known as "The Spring City Beyond the Great Wall." While it is freezing compared with Shanghai, it was not that unbearable considering it is the capital city of Jilin, one of three northeastern Chinese provinces known for freezing weather.

After all, the cold weather is nothing for ski lovers who cannot find a slope with real snow in Shanghai.

We arrived just in time for the largest skiing event of the year - the 2007 Vasaloppet China International Cross-Country Ski Race - that opened on January 1.

Vasaloppet, with a history of more than 80 years in Sweden, is the largest cross-country skiing competition in the world, attracting 45,000 participants annually.

Volvo, sponsor of the voyage of the Swedish tall ship Gotheborg to China, also financially supported Vasaloppet in Changchun, fusing elements of sport and entertainment with cultural activities extending from the ski race.

While watching this exciting race in the beautiful Moon Lake National Park, an elderly man dressed in old-fashioned ski gear, with equipment made of wood, caught my eye. He turned out to be the "King of Vasaloppet," a living mascot of the competition, reminding everyone of the legend and origin of the event.

Once upon a time, Vasaloppet was at war with its neighbor. The fighting became intense and the small kingdom was in danger. The king found refuge for the kingdom by skiing alone to its allied countries.

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