Playing pickup ice hockey on the city's frozen rivers and lakes in winter is a routine exercise for some of its hockey lovers. (Photo: Li Hao/GT)
Zhao uses a blade sharpener to sharpen his teammate's skates. (Photo: Li Hao/GT)
If you have ever passed by the lakes and moat in the capital on a winter afternoon with gentle breezes and bright sunshine, you would understand Beijingers' passion for winter sports.
It's 3 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, and Zhao Dazhuang has driven his electric tricycle to Longtan Donglu in Dongcheng district. Near the road is a section of moat, which is frozen due to the drop in temperature. The ice glistens beautifully in the sunshine; it is chilly, but the atmosphere on the river is hot.
Zhao saw his peers, some of the city's oldest ice hockey enthusiasts, warming up on the ice by skating in circles. All the skaters are local men over 50, except for one female skater.
Zhao, 55, took his skates and hockey stick out of his vehicle and prepared to hit the ice. Aside from being a competitive teammate, he is also helpful. The other skaters were anticipating his arrival because he always brings his blade sharpener. Before the pickup game started, he helped them sharpen the blades on their ice skates.
"I have been playing ice hockey for almost three decades," said Zhao. "I do not have a coach; I just learned by practicing on my own."
Zhao is among Beijing's pioneering groups of amateur skaters who have started to play ice hockey.
He said he was attracted to the sport in 1981 when Beijing participated in the Ice Hockey World Championship Group C. The Chinese men's national team finished in second place and inspired a national passion for ice hockey, making the 1980s a golden era for China's ice hockey development.
"At the time, most of the amateur ice hockey players had to buy their equipment overseas," recalled Zhao.
"Every winter, we play on Shichahai Lake and Liangma River. We also play in standard indoor and outdoor ice hockey rinks as well."
As the skaters geared up, two pairs of shoes were positioned on the frozen moat to mark the goals. Passersby along the river occasionally stop to watch and cheer on the team made up of Beijing lao paoer.
In the Chinese blockbuster movie Mr. Six (2015), lao paoer refers to middle-aged and elderly local Beijingers over 50, who stick to their own traditional values and spirits. The movie features a scenario where Mr. Six duels with a young man named Xiao Fei on a frozen lake near the Summer Palace.
Zhao said he loves ice hockey because it is such a thrilling game.
"It's a contact sport in which people could actually fight with each other," he said.
More people came to join them on the ice, including parents, kids and two middle-aged women who were practicing figure skating.
Over the years, a growing number of parents have been enrolling their children in ice hockey lessons in Beijing. One of the major factors is that ice hockey, a popular sport in the West, can give students an edge when applying for universities in North America.
"Unlike some of the young skaters, we play for the love of the sport, without any other purpose or pressure," said Zhao.
Nevertheless, skating wildly on frozen rivers and lakes can pose safety concerns. Every winter people are warned to be cautious while skating or playing on the ice, and they are told that it is safer to skate in standard ice rinks.
"We are safe because we are experienced at observing the thickness of ice," said a female ice hockey player surnamed Wang.
Wang said she has had two bone fractures from skating, but it won't stop her from pursuing her interest.
The 2022 Winter Olympic Games will be held in Beijing and its neighboring city Zhangjiakou in Hebei Province. The government aims to raise the number of people participating in winter sports to 5 million, according to Beijing's plan to promote public sports and exercise.
"The Winter Olympics will boost the popularity of winter games among the public," Wang said.
"We are looking forward to seeing more ice rinks in the city to provide enough space for winter sports lovers to participate," she said.
