The 14th National Winter Games, which kicked off in north China's Inner Mongolia on Saturday night, are promoting the development of China's ice and snow sports and also boosting winter tourism in the renowned summer prairie destination.

This edition of the National Winter Games is set to be the largest and most extensive in the event's history, with over 3,700 competitors from all around the country competing in 176 events.
Inner Mongolia was also encouraged to better utilize its plentiful ice and snow resources by the grand sports gala. Sports enthusiasts won't be the only ones to profit from the Winter Games sports gala.
The scenic area of the Mo'ergele River on the Hulun Buir Grasslands, the closest tourist attraction to the main venue of the Games, is embracing a tourism surge.
Misha was among the crowds of tourists having fun at the scenic spot. He wowed at the vision of such a fairyland of ice and snow, which he said is something that his country can learn from.
"I think it's great to give full play to the climatic advantage here. Like, there's a lot of snow, and they used it to make ice sculptures," said the tourist.
In addition to the natural beauty of the area and the impressive ice sculptures, the area also offers a wide range of recreational activities, such as camel-drawn sleigh rides, ice dancing, and wrestling on ice.
The scenic spot staff said that the National Winter Games not only attracted a significant number of domestic tourists to the Hulunbuir Grassland but also drew many foreign tourists who were eager to visit.
"Today, we see a large number of foreign tourists as well as domestic tourists. They come to our Hulunbuir Grassland to admire the snow and participate in our winter Nadam (entertainment or games in the Mongolian language). Many visitors from other regions want to experience the winter in Hulunbuir. The beauty of Hulunbuir's scenery is renowned, and now the winter landscapes here are also becoming a heat," said Munhe Tur, a staff member of the Scenic Area of the Mo'ergele River.
As the nation's first comprehensive winter sports event after the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, the 14th National Winter Games is believed to have further consolidated the goal of engaging 300 million people in winter sports.