Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, known for its harsh winters, is turning winter into a breeding ground for innovation in key industries. From cutting-edge ice equipment in Qiqihar to smart winter fashion in Harbin, technology and creativity are fostering new opportunities.
With average winter temperatures around -10 degrees Celsius, Qiqihar has earned its reputation as one of China's hubs for ice sports. At the factory of a 70-year-old ice equipment brand, machines are working tirelessly around the clock to grind blades.
These one-millimeter-thick ice-skating blades, designed for speed skating, feature numerous technological innovations for which the company has secured patents.
"We've integrated titanium alloy into the design of our blades for the first time. We've also innovated with a T-shaped structure, replacing the traditional round tube design. This has reduced the overall cross-sectional area by more than 50 percent, while also making the blades lighter - over 10 percent lighter than foreign competitve products of the same level," said Zheng Xiaojie, head of the Technical Department at Qiqihar's Black Dragon Company.
In high-stakes speed skating competitions, where gold and silver can be determined by fractions of a second, that 10-percent weight reduction can make all the difference. Thanks to advanced, intelligent production methods, this heritage brand is now expanding its reach internationally, with growing presence in the Netherlandish and South Korea markets.
"(Our ice-skating blades) can now compete with top-tier international products, with the performance gap being narrowed to minimal," said Zheng.
Meanwhile, a leading brand in China's down jacket market has aslo seized an opportunity for innovation, teaming up with Harbin, the city that attracted a record-breaking three million tourists during last year's three-day New Year holiday.
"Harbin is a city that showcases its full beauty in winter, just as our brand has its maximum splendor in winter. So, it is a perfect marriage," said Pietro Ferragina, creative director of Bosideng.
In the brand's state-of-the-art Harbin factory, all 158 steps involved in creating a down jacket - cutting, sewing, sorting, and packaging - are fully automated.
"Our jackets are lighter yet provide more warmth in temperatures as low as -50 degrees Celsius. This is achieved through experiments combining heat air circulation with our goose down and sewing system," Ferragina said.
The fusion of technology and design culminated in a stunning fashion show held against the backdrop of the landmark St. Sophia Cathedral in downtown Harbin earlier this month.
Northeastern Heilongjiang Province leverages technology to boost winter sports, fashion
