Skiers enjoyed both skiing and the folk customs of Lantern Festival at the Panshan Ski Resort in Jizhou district, Tianjin, on Feb 13.
On the day of Lantern Festival, an important Chinese festival that falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the resort organized a variety of folk activities and also cheered for the on-going Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, held Feb 4-20.
In the morning, to the cheerful sound of gongs and drums, eight actors performed the lion dance in the square outside the ski gear hall.
Inside the hall, the audience was also amazed by all kinds of folk arts and crafts. The shadow puppet performance themed on the Winter Olympics was superb; and the intangible cultural heritage of paper-cutting was displayed by cartoon characters made out of pieces of red paper through folding and cutting.
Although it was cold, it couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm or fun of the crowds out on the snowy fields.
"I was so happy to come to ski and experience the folk activities of Lantern Festival," said a ski enthusiast.
"The Beijing Winter Olympics has inspired more people to try to experience the fun of skiing. On the day of Lantern Festival, we wanted to make the experience more special by adding festival elements,” said Liu Jihong, manager of Panshan Ski Resort.
In addition, local snacks such as sugar-coated haws, roasted sweet potatoes, and sugar-fried chestnuts were offered.
"By celebrating the traditional lantern festival and cheering for the Beijing Winter Olympics we hope to attract more people to participate in the ice and snow sports," Liu added.