From January 29 to 30, 2026, deafening drumbeats echoed across the ice venue of Xilin Lake in Xilinhot, Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia. The finals of the 2025-2026 Ice Dragon Boat Super League grandly kicked off. As the flagship annual event of ice dragon boat sports, the finals gathered high-level competitive teams from all over the country. It stands as an outstanding ice and snow gala showcasing speed and strength, as well as a vivid practice of the creative transformation of traditional Chinese culture and the diversified integrated development model of sports, cultural tourism and consumption. It marks that the innovative development of mass ice and snow sports has entered a new stage in the post-Winter Olympics era.

       The venue welcomed a full attendance of distinguished guests with an outstanding event specification. Leading officials and guests attended the ceremony to witness this grand ice and snow event, including Luo Zhongyi, President of the International Ice Dragon Boat Federation; Wu Hao, Vice Chairman of the Dragon Boat Culture Professional Committee under the China Culture Industry Promotion Association and Professor of Peking University; Wu Hao, Chief Reporter of the Inner Mongolia Correspondent Station of Economic Daily; Ji Guili, Deputy Commissioner of the Administrative Office of Xilingol League; Baolide, Deputy Secretary-General of the Administrative Office of Xilingol League; He Mingjian, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of Xilingol League Party Committee and Director of the Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio and Television; Liu Zhihong, Deputy Director of the Finance Bureau of Xilingol League; Liu Yaqing, Deputy Director of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Xilingol League; Suyilatu, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio and Television of Xilingol League; Wang Yongsheng, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio and Television of Xilingol League; Xin Ying, Vice Mayor of Xilinhot Municipal People’s Government and Director of the Local Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio and Television; Bogeriletu, Chairman of Xilingol League Cultural Tourism Investment and Development Company Limited; and Zhang Peng, General Manager of Xilingol League Cultural Tourism Investment and Development Company Limited.

Guided by the International Ice Dragon Boat Federation and the China Culture Industry Promotion Association, this competition is hosted by the Dragon Boat Culture Professional Committee of the China Culture Industry Promotion Association and the Xilingol League Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio and Television, and undertaken by Xilingol League Cultural Tourism Investment and Development Company Limited. Boasting an unprecedented competitive standard and scale, the event gathered 18 teams selected based on annual overall points rankings from eight provinces and municipalities across the country, including Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Guangdong, Heilongjiang and Yunnan. The total number of participants and accompanying personnel exceeded 400. It featured delegations from northern regions rich in ice and snow resources as well as distinctive southern teams, with remarkable cross-regional participation that fully demonstrates the nationwide influence of the event.

On the crystal-clear ice of Xilin Lake, athletes engaged in fierce contests. The competition included the 100-meter and 200-meter straight sprint races for 12-person ice dragon boats, the 100-meter straight sprint race for 5-person ice dragon boats, and the highly visual and technical 400-meter drifting race for 12-person ice dragon boats. Athletes strove forward by striking the ice with synchronized movements. The dragon boats sped across the ice like arrows, presenting a perfect integration of strength and grace as well as outstanding teamwork and tacit coordination. The cheers from the audience blended with powerful drumbeats, fully igniting the vibrant winter passion upon the snowy grassland.

Over the two-day competition, the glorious moments of the finals belonged to every athlete who gave their all. After intense competition, all championship titles were duly awarded. The Vast Grassland Xilingol Dragon Boat Team claimed four championships at the 2025–2026 Ice Dragon Boat Super League Finals, covering the 100-meter and 200-meter straight races for 12-person ice dragon boats, the 100-meter straight race for 5-person ice dragon boats, and the 400-meter drifting race for 12-person ice dragon boats, securing the overall championship. Yunnan Minzu University Dragon Boat Team and Tianjin University of Sport Dragon Boat Team took the overall second and third places respectively. Nankai University Dragon Boat Team won the annual overall points championship.

The successful conclusion of this Ice Dragon Boat Super League Finals marks the full closure of the 2025–2026 Ice Dragon Boat Super League season. Looking back on the whole season, the league has demonstrated a grand layout and far‑reaching influence.

Culture as the Core, Event Standards Aligned with International Norms

The Ice Dragon Boat Super League embodies the in‑depth integration of traditional Chinese culture and international event standards, as well as a grand mass carnival for public participation. It has evolved into a cultural bond connecting northern and southern regions and linking China with the rest of the world. Adhering to standardized development, the emerging ice dragon boat sport radiates contemporary charm and serves as a unique carrier for telling Chinese sports culture stories and promoting international sports and cultural exchanges.Nationwide Coordination, Stimulating Public Enthusiasm for Ice and Snow Sports

The vigorous development of the league consolidates and expands the achievements of encouraging three hundred million people to engage in ice and snow sports. This season, the league has travelled across six provinces and autonomous regions including Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, attracting nearly six thousand athletes in total. From the snowy northern lands to the western borderlands, every host location has witnessed rising public enthusiasm for ice and snow activities. The league has advanced the nationwide popularization and development of ice dragon boating and consolidated its mass participation foundation.In-depth Integration of Sports, Culture, Tourism and Consumption, Fostering a Thriving Industrial Ecosystem

The league has explored and effectively implemented the diversified integration model of sports, culture, tourism and consumption. Beyond professional competitions, it has enriched local experiences with event‑linked travel routes, ice and snow themed parades, cultural markets, public ice and snow entertainment activities, and live streaming sessions for local agricultural products. Such efforts have boosted consumption in catering, accommodation, transportation and tourism at host cities, built a complete industrial consumption ecosystem centered on sports events, and steadily transformed regional cold winter resources into tangible warm economic benefits. It has strongly boosted regional economic vitality during the winter season.

The war drums have resounded, and ice and snow reflect lofty aspirations. With the conclusion of the finals, the 2025-2026 Ice Dragon Boat Super League has come to a successful end. Taking ice and snow passion as the spark, cultural integration as the bridge, and industrial coordination as the path, the Ice Dragon Boat Super League has forged a clear and dynamic course for the innovative integration and high-quality development of China’s ice and snow industry.