This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

Games South Korea's Kim Kyeong-ae (R) and Seong Ji-hoon are in action during the mixed doubles curling final against Japan at the Asian Winter Games at the Harbin Pingfang Curling Arena on Feb. 8, 2025.

As the 9th Asian Winter Games began their first official day of competition, anticipation soared for the event to foster unity, drive shared prosperity, and deepen friendships across Asia and beyond.

Asian Winter Games began with an opening ceremony in Harbin, China, featuring 34 participating countries across 11 sports.

Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state attend the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

HARBIN - As the night sky over Harbin glows with the lights of the Asian Winter Games opening ceremony, 20-year-old Liu Mengting will take center stage - not on the slopes where she usually soars, but at the helm of Team China, leading her fellow athletes into the spotlight as the host country's flagbearer.

The lit cauldron of the 9th Asian Winter Games is pictured at the Harbin Ice and Snow World Park during the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)

China's Li Fanghui secured the host nation's first gold medal at the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games, triumphing in the women's freeski halfpipe event at the Yabuli Ski Resort on Saturday.

Li's journey to the top hasn't been without challenges. Ahead of the 2024 National Winter Games, she fractured her collarbone for the third time but still managed to secure silver in the women's freeski halfpipe open category.