From a court painting to modern winter sports

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The 24th Winter Olympic Games will be held in Beijing in February 2022, but the city is no stranger to competitive sports on snow and ice.

The relationship between Beijing and winter sports can be traced back to a type of painting called bingxi, which translates to “play on ice”.

Bingxi as a form of performance for the court began in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and reached its peak during Qing (1644-1911). Each year after the winter solstice (in late December), grand ice festivals were held for the enjoyment of the royal family.

A bingxi painting in the collection of the Palace Museum depicts scenes of bingxi during the Qing Dynasty. A closer look at the painting will show that there are many similarities between how ancient Chinese people enjoyed frolics on ice, and modern-day competitive sports at the Winter Olympic Games.

Watch this video to find out more.

Previously published on Chinadaily.com.cn