Public warms to ice and snow activities
A dream was born 10 years ago when speedskater Yang Yang stopped by the Rockefeller Center in New York, fascinated by people of all ages enjoying skating at the famous outdoor rink.
A decade later, the Chinese winter sports champion fulfilled her dream of making outdoor skating an urban attraction in the country's largest metropolis, when a 600-square-meter ice rink was installed at the foot of Shanghai's landmark Oriental Pearl Tower in January.
From watching elite athletes such as Yang competing on TV to strapping on skates and having fun on ice, residents of Shanghai, a city once considered a winter sports wilderness, have embraced the chilly action in the buildup to the 2022 Winter Olympics, which will be co-hosted by Beijing and Zhangjiakou, Hebei province.
