HARBIN - The cauldron has been ignited at the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games on Friday night.

Joined by children holding ice lanterns, China's first Winter Olympic champion and short track speed skater Yang Yang, China's first male Winter Olympic gold medalist and freestyle skier Han Xiaopeng, Olympic race walk champion Wang Zhen, and Sochi Winter Olympic speed skating champion Zhang Hong lit the cauldron in a shape of a blooming lilac flower at the Harbin Ice-Snow World, the world's largest ice-and-snow theme park.

The flame for the Games was lit at the Sun Island Scenic Area in Harbin on January 20. The torch relay involved 120 torchbearers on a route featuring landmarks in the city, including Harbin Central Street, which has a history of more than 100 years, and the Songhua River.

After the athletes' parade and the official opening of the Games, a gala performance themed "Dream of Winter, Love among Asia" ushered in a climax of the ceremony - lighting of the cauldron.

The Harbin Ice-Snow World is the sub-venue for the opening ceremony, in addition to the main venue at the Harbin International Conference, Exhibition and Sports Center. During this year's eight-day Spring Festival holiday, the Harbin Ice-Snow World saw over 610,000 visits.

It is the second time for Harbin to host the Asian Winter Games, after doing so for the tournament's third edition in 1996. Over 1,200 athletes from 34 countries and regions across Asia will compete in 64 events across six sports, making this edition the largest in terms of participating delegations and athletes. The Games will conclude on Feb 14.