Vibrant ice-snow events held across colder northern parts of China

Vibrant ice and snow themed events have been held across the colder northern parts of China, as temperature drops brought snowfall to multiple regions over the past few days. Cities have combined winter sports with the offering of local delicacies and folk customs activities, contributing to injecting new driving forces into regional economic growth.

The 2026 Freeride World Tour (FWT) qualifier is underway in Hemu Village of Altay Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from December 11 to 16, bringing together more than 100 elite players from China, Russia, Japan, Norway, and other countries and regions.

The premier freeride skiing and snowboarding competition, as part of the 2025 Xinjiang Funskiing Festival, has further fueled the winter excitement in Altay, which is recognized as the origin of human skiing and a renowned "Snow Capital" in China.

"This is my first time in Hemu, China. It has been an incredible experience so far," said British freerider Melissa Brand.

A series of activities to mark the 12th national public ice and snow season were launched in Hohhot City of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Sunday, with the event featuring an invitational skiing tournament involving 3,000 enthusiasts and tourists from across the country.

Alongside the professional sporting event, various other interesting activities were on offer, including snowfield football and horse riding, allowing the public to fully enjoy the fun of snow-themed sports.

The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China also initiated a winter tourism season to boost consumption on Sunday, with the opening ceremony held in Jingyan County. At the region's largest ski resort, an open-air market of over 30 stalls are offering extreme sports fans an opportunity to sample distinctive local cuisine and purchase high-quality agricultural products.

"I highly recommend that people from other places come and taste the local delicacies of Jingyuan County," said Yu Yanfei, a local resident.

Vibrant ice-snow events held across colder northern parts of China

Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks, with recent tests showing common pathogens and no evidence of new infectious diseases, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Tuesday.

At its first press briefing of 2026, the commission reported that flu activity nationwide remains moderate at the moment.

According to Xin Li, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, respiratory samples collected from sentinel hospitals indicated that the influenza virus was the most common pathogen, accounting for 27.4 percent of cases, followed by respiratory syncytial virus at 8.8 percent and rhinovirus at 5.7 percent.

"Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks and remains at a moderate level overall. Analysis of nationwide fever clinic consultations, influenza-like illness cases at sentinel hospitals, and multi-pathogen testing shows that all detected pathogens are known common ones, with no evidence of unknown pathogens or new infectious diseases," Xin told the press.

Data from sentinel hospitals indicated flu activity was falling across provincial-level regions, while reports of school outbreaks dropped for five consecutive weeks. Laboratory tests showed that 97.3 percent of positive influenza samples were H3N2 subtype viruses.

China flu activity declines for fourth week, no new pathogens detected: official