冰雪奇緣

冰雪奇緣

While Princess Elsa in the fi lm Frozen bemoaned her magical powers where everything she touched turned to ice, people living in the highlands of Northeastern China cheer for winters that bring with them a fantastic world of ice and snow.Let's delve into a wonderful world of rime, snow, and crystalline castles that's been visiting for over a millennium.

就在《冰雪奇緣》中的艾莎公主為她點物成冰的魔法痛苦時，中國高緯度地區的東北人家，卻為姍姍來遲的晶瑩魔幻冰雪世界而歡呼雀躍。他們整理好行裝，走進茫茫『凇都』、皚皚『雪鄉』、水晶『城堡』，

開啟一段穿越千年的奇遇之旅。

A shepherd walking on Jilin Rime Island.吉林霧凇島上的趕羊人。

A Painting of Skaters from Qing Dynasty

In March 2015, a few months before Beijing and Zhangjiakou successfully secured hosting rights for the 2022 Winter Olympics, Bingxitu (a painting of skaters) was displayed at the Bird's Nest National Stadium located at the Olympic Green.The painting was produced by the court painters Zhang Weibang and Yao Wenhan during the reign of the Qing Emperor Qianlong (1736 - 1795).Bingxitu depicts skaters performing various fi gure skating maneuvers such as Daxiezi (big scorpion), Jinji Duli (the cockerel on one leg), Nezha Naohai (Prince Nezha rampages through the seas), Shuangfeiyan (two fl ying swallows), and Qianjinzhui (thousand pound fall) as well as tricks such as pole climbing, pole vaulting, and the wielding of tridents, blades, staves, and banners, and even engaging in military drills and archery.Members of the International Olympic Committee expressed their amazement at the historical work of art that clearly revealed skating to be an age-old sport that has always been practiced in China.

The painting of Bingxitu during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, is now collected in the Imperial Palace.珍藏于故宮的清乾隆時期的巨幅畫卷《冰嬉圖》。

Ice and snow have been an integral part of Chinese history since ancient times.The lengthy northern winters, cold climates, and abundance of water helped give rise to a rich and extensive landscape that allowed winter cultures to fl ourish.During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Jurchen tribes who lived in the Baishan Heishui (White Mountains and Black Rivers) invented the Zhuma (literally translated as “the bamboo horse”) that allowed them to traverse frozen ice surfaces with ease.This was the earliest form of a skating tool in China.When the northern people became the new overlords of China, they also introduced ice sports to China's heartland.A national tradition during the reign of Emperor Qianlong was to host a Bingxi Shenghui (a grand festival of ice sports) that starts from Dongzhi (winter solstice) and ends at Sanjiu (the 27th day after the winter solstice).

Bingxi is an ancient Chinese phrase for ice sport.The Qing Dynasty is considered as the Golden Age of fi gure skating in ancient China, thanks to the martial prowess and courageous character of the Manchu warriors, the geographical features of their native homelands, as well as their folk traditions.Emperor Taizu of the Qing Dynasty, Nurhaci, was a master skater and organized a military unit that was completely equipped with Wula Huazi (skating shoes) in his campaign to unite the Jurchen tribes.

Snowy Sun Island in Harbin.哈爾濱太陽島雪景。

Horse-drawn carts with people for a winter fishing on the icy Chagan Lake.吉林查干湖冰面上，拉著大網的馬車和準備去冬捕的人們。

This special unit traversed over 700 li (350 km) within 24 hours bearing guns and cannons on sleds.After establishing the Later Jin, Nurhaci repeatedly held a sports competition on ice at Hun River in Shenyang with his peers, princes, of fi cers, wives, and concubines.The competition included dozens of events like paobing (skating race), huabingche (sled racing), chou bingga (spinning ice top), da huada (a form of ski jumping), and xuedizou (walking on snow).Acrobatic maneuvers, dances, and even football and other games were brought to the ice rink as well.A large feast was then held on the ice.Cattle and goats were slaughtered and prepared for a sumptuous banquet, allowing all participants to eat and drink their fi ll.

Partying on Ice

Bingxi was not limited to the extravagant Imperial festivals on ice.The people in northeastern China still enjoy having fun with snow and ice each year.The temperature drops below freezing point after a night of harsh northern wind, and fl owing rivers and lapping lakes are turned into shimmering and smooth ice rinks.Once the ice becomes thick enough, everyone – regardless of age – will rush onto the ice surface.In addition to natural and large ice rinks at HeilongJiang River, Songhua River, Ussuri River, Hun River, and Jingyue Pool, improvised ice rinks located in parks of various cities and professional ice rinks and skiing resorts with advanced equipment and amenities are also popular among many people.

Visitors standing at the levees can see how the winter converts the roaring currents of Songhua River into an epic and shimmering layer of ice.Iceboats skim along the frozen surfaces of meandering rivers, while numerous ice parks and rinks populate the regions near the riverbank.The most popular attractions are the 200-meter long ice slides and snow rubber ring parks.Adults and children alike sit on in fl atable rubber rings and fl y down the slides to enjoy the rush and excitement provided by the speed of the ride.

Holes cut on the ice surface are popular places for winter swimmers to take a dip in.As they emerge from these ice holes in their swimsuits, steam swirls around their bodies.People also partake in snow fi ghts, building snowmen, riding ice sleds, and playing ice hockey and curling.The sounds of laughter and joy are also accompanied by the cracking of whips in spinning top competitions.Despite being outdoors, such games inspire a passion that help people cope with the sub-freezing temperatures.

白山黑水冰嬉圖

2015年3月，在北京攜手張家口贏得2022年冬奧會舉辦權之前，奧林匹克中心鳥巢體育場里，一幅乾隆年間宮廷畫家張為邦和姚文翰繪制的《冰嬉圖》引起關注。大蝎子、金雞獨立、哪吒鬧海、雙飛燕、千斤墜等樣式的花樣滑冰和爬竿、翻杠子、飛叉、耍刀、使棒、弄幡等樣式的雜技滑冰，以及練兵的溜冰射箭等等場景，引發了國際奧委會評估團成員對中國冰雪運動的悠久歷史的驚贊。

中國冰雪文化源遠流長，北方漫長的冬季、寒冷的氣候、豐富的水資源，為冰雪文化的形成提供了廣泛而充足的載體。早在隋唐時期，生活在“白山黑水”地區的女真族便發明了滑冰的竹馬，成為中國人最早的滑冰方式。隨著北方民族入主中原，一些冰上運動也被帶入內地。清乾隆帝在位時期，將每年“冬至”到“三九”期間舉行的“冰嬉盛會”定為國俗。

冰嬉，是中國古代對冰上運動的統稱。清代之所以能成為中國古代花樣滑冰的“黃金時代”，與滿人英勇彪悍的民族性格和所處的地域環境、民族風俗等息息相關。“滑冰高手”清太祖努爾哈赤，在統一女真各部的戰爭中，組織了一支“皆著烏喇滑子”的滑冰部隊，這支特種部隊完全靠滑冰前進，一天一夜行軍700多里，火炮也架在冰爬犁上運送。建立“后金”政權后，努爾哈赤曾多次率領諸王、貝勒等官員及其妻妾，在沈陽渾河舉行“冰上運動會”。跑冰、滑冰車、抽冰嘎、打滑撻、雪地走等數10余種比賽，不一而足，甚至將雜技、舞蹈、蹴鞠等文體項目挪到了冰面上。還在冰上舉行盛大宴會，殺牛宰羊，直至盡興。

江河湖泊上的冰雪歡歌

傳承數百年的冰嬉，不僅是古時皇家華麗的“冰上盛宴”，也是如今東北地區百姓休閑娛樂的重要方式。當寒風呼嘯的一夜過后，氣溫驟降到冰點，往日波光粼粼的江、河、湖面瞬時光滑如鏡。冰面剛剛結實，男女老少們就按捺不住了，成群結隊涌上冰面，迫不及待地上演一場場轟轟烈烈的冰上狂歡。除了黑龍江、松花江、烏蘇里江、渾河、凈月潭等天然“大冰場”外，各城市內的公園“野冰場”和設施先進的專業滑冰、滑雪場，也備受人們青睞。

站在江堤向松花江北岸望去，夏日里奔騰的江水，已凝結成一首壯美的史詩。遠處蜿蜒的江面上點點冰帆點綴其中，近處是數個大大小小的冰上游樂場。近200米長的冰滑梯和雪圈樂園無疑是最受歡迎的地方。無論大人小孩子都可以坐在橡膠雪圈上，從大滑梯上奮力而下，享受“飛”的感覺。

鑿出的一片冰窟窿是冬泳愛好者們的地盤。剛從水里出來穿著泳衣的冬泳人，身體周圍冒著霧氣，站在雪中與游客們合著影。遠處大片的空地上，打雪仗、堆雪人、滑冰車、賽冰球、擲冰壺的歡笑聲和著抽冰尜的清脆鞭子聲，飄蕩在澄空凈宇之上。雖然身處室外，運動燃起的激情，卻似乎令人忘卻了冰點下的嚴寒。

FASCINATING FROZEN WORLD

Text by Wang Yuanchang Photos by Wang Yuanchang, Sun Fuxing & VCG Translation by Sonia

1.People enjoy flying on the snow with rubber rings.在橡膠雪圈上享受“飛”的感覺。

3.Kids playing on the ice.在冰面上玩耍的小朋友。