HARBIN - As the night sky over Harbin glows with the lights of the Asian Winter Games opening ceremony, 20-year-old Liu Mengting will take center stage - not on the slopes where she usually soars, but at the helm of Team China, leading her fellow athletes into the spotlight as the host country's flagbearer.

Asian Winter Games began with an opening ceremony in Harbin, China, featuring 34 participating countries across 11 sports.

Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state attend the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Iranian athelets took part at the opening ceremony of 2025 Asian Winter Games which officially kicked off on Friday at Harbin International Convention Exhibition and Sports Center in Harbin, China.

President Xi Jinping on Friday declared the 2025 Asian Winter Games officially open in Harbin, marking the second time the northeastern Chinese city

Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin on Friday night during a festive ceremony highlighting the city's ice and snow culture. Over 8,000 spectators at the Harbin International Conference,

President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday attended the grand opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China, alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and other heads of states from Asia.

Delegation of China parade during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Feb 7, 2025. [Photo by Wei Xiaohao/chinadaily.com.cn] HARBIN -- The parade of athletes at the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin has begun on Friday evening.