Chinese people’s enthusiasm for snow sports has been boosted by the ongoing Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, and there has been news about how people have got involved and found creative ways to enjoy the sports themselves. Some have created “homemade curling” using a wok or kettle, as well as various items for the “ice brush,” both outdoors and indoors.
Netizens were amazed by Chinese people’s clever and creative ideas. One video went viral in which a group of residents were standing on a frozen lake and playing curling with woks and mops. Another video showed two guys “curling” at home with a teakettle and a mop.
In Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a resident surnamed Liu tried curling himself by filling a basin with water and hanging a cucumber outside to freeze it. This homemade “curling” set cost about 3 yuan ($0.47), according to media reports.
In North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a man carved a rectangular block of ice into the shape of a curling stone with an ice shovel. He then drilled a hole in the top with an electric drill and inserted a red tube as a handle, a video showed. Some netizens said this was probably the highest level of “folk curling.”
“I want to experience it myself and cheer for Beijing 2022. I hope that more residents who love ice and snow sports can join in the games,” he told the media.
A group of firemen from Sanmenxia, Central China’s Henan Province were playing their own self-made “curling game,” a video shot on February 6 showed. At a basketball playground, they poured water on the ground to freeze, and then they used their self-made ice and brushes to start the game. The firemen were quite excited when playing the game and there were prizes for the winner.
“There are many folk masters,” one netizen wrote on Chinese-twitter like Weibo. “Interest in ice and snow sports has been aroused across the country,” another wrote, and some netizens from the southern regions of China where there are no snow expressed their envy.
Along with self-made curling, Chinese people are enjoying other ice and snow sports. In Northeast China’s Jilin Province, residents like to play a game by standing on a plank and sliding on the ice using two sticks to maintain balance.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Central China’s Hunan Province also attracted a lot of visitors recently due to the beautiful snowy scene. Since February 4, the park has received over 23,000 visitors, up 702 percent year-on-year, according to media reports.
A group of firemen from Sanmenxia, Central China’s Henan Province are playing their own self-made “curling game,” a video shot on February 6 showed. Photo: Screenshot of webiste
