A dragon race event on ice kicked off on the Hunhe River in Shenyang, capital of Northeast China’s Liaoning province on Jan 3, according to local officials.

It was the second session of the dragon race on ice in Shenyang and will run for 17 days, with participation of more than 200 teams from all over the province, who will compete on four 300-meter racetracks on the Hunhe River.

The event is part of Shenyang’s 2019-2020 winter tourism festival and is also part of the city’s ice play festival.

The term ice play represents activities, competitions, sports and performance on ice, which originated in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and thrived in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Shenyang was an important city where ice play developed rapidly and thrived.

Officials said that the dragon boat race not only promotes Shenyang’s traditional culture, but also helps encourage winter fitness in Shenyang.

The Shenyang ice play festival kicks off on Jan 3 in Hunnan district. [Photo by Yu Haiyang/Chinanews.com]

Teams go all-out in the dragon boat race on ice on the Hunhe River in Shenyang, on Jan 3. [Photo by Yu Haiyang/Chinanews.com]