The 9th Asian Winter Games have opened in Harbin. A young girl with an ice lantern and a bright smile took center stage at the opening and closing ceremonies of the international event with the theme of "Asia with One Dream in ice and Snow". The dynamic dancing, innocent smiles and the light of the ice lantern in their hands not only lit up the opening ceremony stage, but also ignited the audience's enthusiasm for ice and snow culture. But what people don't know is that the "ice lantern girl" we see is actually two people. One is Dong Ruihan, who appeared in the short film of the opening ceremony, and the other is Zhang Xiaoyi, who lit up the main stage at the scene. These two small actors, known as "ice lantern girls" by netizens, and many other small actors who appeared in the opening and closing ceremonies, are from the dance Group Four of the Harbin Children's Palace Little Snow Flower Art Troupe. Behind them is a team full of vitality and resilience, as well as a teacher who has been deeply engaged in children's dance education for more than 20 years - Wei Ying.

In the preparatory stage of the opening and closing ceremonies, the organizing committee selected more than 20 young actors from the Harbin Children's Palace Little Snow Flower Dance Troupe to participate in the performance. The director noticed the two of them in the group rehearsal of nearly 1,000 people - precise movements, infectious smiles, even in the crowd can instantly catch the eye. It was decided that the two would play the central role of the "ice lantern girl" at the opening and closing ceremonies. Chief director Sha Xiaolan explained: "Ice lanterns are a cultural symbol of Harbin, and children are the hope of the future. When they walked to the stage with the ice lanterns, we saw not only the growth of a girl, but also the passion of the whole city and the whole Asia for ice sports." Therefore, the design of this link not only symbolizes the intergenerational inheritance of the dream of ice and snow, but also uses ice lanterns as a medium to sublimate the childhood memory of Harbin into a common vision of ice and snow in Asia.

After receiving the task of performing at the Asian Winter Games in November 2024, Wei Ying led the members to open the "devil training". In order to show the best results, they insisted on high-intensity training every day for more than 70 days after being selected for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Asian Winter Games. The children often rehearse until the early hours of the morning, then return to the rehearsal room the next morning. Dong Ruihan shot the film in a minus 1℃ studio, wearing only thin tights and single boots, and still completed the 12-hour shooting with a professional attitude. On the home stage, Zhang Xiaoyi's task is more difficult. In the set of actions that lit up the main stage, she was not allowed to deviate at all, for which she paid more hard than other small actors. The daily training of the four small snowflower dance groups reflects the inheritance of ice and snow culture in Harbin, the "city of Olympic champions".

After the opening and closing ceremonies, "Ice lanterns and Ice Lanterns" quickly became a hot search on social media. "Dong Ruihan's smile is a fairy tale, while Zhang Xiaoyi's firmness is the light of the future," netizen commented. "Her smile is like the winter sun that cures all the cold." "They let me see the hope of ice and snow sports in China," said Zhang Hong, a member of the International Olympic Committee. In an interview, Wei Ying said frankly: "Dance education is not only about teaching skills, but also about shaping values. "We want children to learn that art is a bridge between themselves and the world." This concept is pushing Harbin's ice and snow culture from the Songhua River to the world stage through international competitions and cultural exchange activities.

When the light of the ice lantern passed through their hands, it illuminated not only the arena of the Asian Winter Games, but also a nation's adherence to traditional culture and innovation. They are the epitome of Harbin, the "city of Double Asia and winter". Here, snow and ice are not only natural gifts, but also cultural blood. Ice and snow with the same dream, from generation to generation; Asia, with one heart, will continue to thrive.