The 2025 Wenying Lake Ice and Snow Festival officially launched in Datong city – located in North China's Shanxi province – on Jan 22.

A popular destination for intangible cultural heritage celebrations during the Spring Festival, Datong aims to showcase its rich local traditions, cuisine, history, as well as ice and snow economy to the world.

An ice-skating performance charms the audience at the launch ceremony on Jan 22. [Photo/dt.sxgov.cn]

The evening gala brought unforgettable moments, as classic songs resonated over Wenying Lake. A standout performance by Russian singing icon Vitas delivered a breathtaking audio-visual experience to onlookers.

Shanxi-native and renowned singer Tan Jing concluded the evening with her performance of Happy Datong. Meanwhile, local ice-skating enthusiasts took to the frozen lake, showcasing the vibrant spirit of winter sports in the region.

A drone show promotes local ice and snow sports. [Photo/dt.sxgov.cn]

Most notably, the event debuted the innovative "Flying Screen" technology. A flying screen hanging from the drone lit up the night sky with phrases like "Ancient Capital of China, World in Magnificent Datong".

The grand finale featured a synchronized drone and fireworks display, lifting the festive atmosphere to its peak level of excitement.

A spectacular fireworks show lights up the night sky over Wenying Lake. [Photo/dt.sxgov.cn]

The event gathered over 1,300 attendees, including diplomats from Denmark, Norway, Austria and other regions.

Also, present were representatives from leading Chinese enterprises such as Alibaba, Huawei and Tencent, as well as executives from multinational corporations like Denmark's Topsoe and Japan's Mitsui.

Representatives of online tourism companies like Trip.com and distinguished figures from various sectors in Datong also graced the occasion.