Blog: Ice Hockey — A ‘Crown Jewel’ of Winter Sports

Ice hockey, considered as one of the “crown jewels” of winter sports, is one of the most professionalized sports among all the Winter Olympics competitions.

Modern ice hockey is believed to have evolved in Canada in the 1800s. It was introduced to China during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). At that time, missionaries, officials, and merchants from other countries brought the sport to China. It gradually spread all over the nation. The first ice hockey rink in China was built as early as 1890. Foreigners living in Tianjin and Beijing even formed ice hockey clubs and jointly held the Beijing-Tianjin intercity ice hockey tournament each winter. Then, foreigners living in China’s northeastern cities such as Harbin, Shenyang, and Dalian began to build ice hockey rinks in winter. Since then, the sport has become more and more popular in the country.