Traditional Competitions Celebrate Ethnic Culture
The 2026 Heilongjiang Border Sports Games spotlight heritage and athletic passion, attracting locals and international visitors alike, Zhou Huiying reports.
▲Competitors take part in a snow soccer match at the central division of the 2026 Heilongjiang Border Sports Games held in Jiejinkou Hezhe ethnic town of Tongjiang city, Heilongjiang province, on Jan 23. [Photo provided to China Daily]
After completing her daily coaching session for speed skaters, and despite fatigue setting in, Xu Xinxin often remains on the ice to continue practicing in preparation for the eastern division of the 2026 Heilongjiang Border Sports Games.
Part of the Heilongjiang Ice and Snow Sports Super League, the games are divided into eastern, central, and northern divisions.
"When I learned that the eastern division, which kicks off on Tuesday in Mishan city, had a speed skating event, I signed up immediately," says the 28-year-old former national speed skating athlete and now a skating coach. "Despite leaving the competition scene 10 years ago, I hope to achieve good results as the competition is being held in my hometown.
"More importantly, I want to experience the happiness and joy that competitions bring once again."
The Mishan event features snow soccer, speed skating, snow tug-ofwar, and a fun curling competition, with six teams from the cities of Mishan, Hulin, Suifenhe, Muling, Dongning, and Jidong county competing.
The 2026 Heilongjiang Border Sports Games officially began on Jan 23, when the central division opened on the frozen Xiuen Lake in Jiejinkou Hezhe Ethnic Town in Tongjiang city. The event attracted six teams from Tongjiang, Fuyuan, Raohe county, Suibin county, Luobei county, and Jiayin county.
Tongjiang, a major settlement area for the Hezhe ethnic group and a border port city, has abundant natural ice and snow venues. It is also home to the millennia-old fishing and hunting traditions of the Hezhe ethnic group, which are recognized as intangible cultural heritage.
Rooted in regional and ethnic characteristics, the Tongjiang event was organized into three main sections, including team-based competitions like snow soccer, as well as traditional ice sports like spinning tops and snow tug-of-war, which test skill and endurance.
▲Athletes face off in a dinggang contest (a traditional Hezhe game of strength confrontation). [Photo provided to China Daily]
Among the highlights were a series of traditional sports originating from the Wurigong Festival of the Hezhe ethnic group, featuring unique events such as deer-hair ball, snow rabbit hunting and archery.
Wurigong means "auspicious day" in the Hezhe language, and the festival was included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage representative projects in 2021.
On the deer-hair ball field, participants sprinted and hit the ball on snow-covered ground, with the ice and snow sometimes helping them and other times causing them to fall, sparking laughter from spectators.
You Chuang, a 44-year-old Hezhe farmer, is a seasoned player of the sport.
"I first encountered deer-hair ball in my teens and performed at the Sixth National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities in 1999," he says."I've participated in various ethnic activities since childhood, but only sports can truly reflect the resilience and perseverance inherent in the Hezhe people, showcasing our skills in fishing and hunting on ice and snow."
"I hope more such activities can be held to pass down these traditions," he adds.
On the adjacent archery field, participants dressed in outfits that blended ethnic elements with athletic practicality performed a seamless sequence of movements -drawing the bow, nocking the arrow, aiming, and releasing — in one fluid motion.
Hezhe archery originated from ancient fishing and hunting practices, essential survival skills for their ancestors. Today it has evolved into a sporting activity that carries the collective memory of the culture.
To help participants from different regions and cultural backgrounds better understand Hezhe culture, the organizing committee simplified some of the rules, allowing them to engage fully with the snow and ice traditions.
"We hope to introduce our ethnic group through these traditional Hezhe folk activities and let more people experience the charm of ethnic sports together," says Wang Yiwei, director of the Economic Development Service Center of Jiejinkou Hezhe town.
The event also attracted many spectators, including residents from neighboring regions and Russian tourists.
"After each competition, the venue was opened to the audience so they could take part, allowing tourists from all over the world to experience authentic ethnic customs," says Wang, who added that there was also an ice sled that people could ride.
▲Players compete in a traditional Hezhe game — deer-hair ball — during central division competitions. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Li Rui, deputy director of the Tongjiang City Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, says that bringing traditional Hezhe sports to the ice and snow arena is an innovative way of preserving intangible cultural heritage.
"It helps to achieve a deep integration of traditional Hezhe culture with ice and snow culture, injecting new vitality into the living inheritance of intangible cultural heritage, and effectively promoting its creative transformation and development," he says.
"More importantly, the event uses intangible cultural heritage sports as a bridge to build a platform for exchange and integration among different groups, deepening understanding and consensus on intangible cultural heritage protection, and fostering national unity," he adds.
In early March, teams from other border regions in the province will form delegations to compete in the northern division, which will be held in Mohe city.
▲Competitors spin ice tops at the games held in Jiejinkou Hezhe Ethnic town of Tongjiang city. [Photo provided to China Daily]