With Asia's growing presence on ice and snow celebrated, and the host's organizational expertise applauded again, the Harbin Asian Winter Games will go down in history as a game-changer on all fronts.

Three years after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics reshaped the winter sports landscape in China, the successful hosting of the 9th Winter Asiad in the Heilongjiang provincial capital has built on that legacy, further expanding the thrills and chills into uncharted territories — from Asia's hot and humid southeastern islands to its dry and sizzling deserts in the west.

The largest-scale Winter Asiad in history — attracting a record 1,275 athletes from 34 nations and regions to Harbin — has seen eight countries and regions appear on the overall medal table as of Thursday, tying with the 2011 edition as the most evenly-contested Winter Asiad since the inaugural edition in 1986.

The debuts of Cambodia and Saudi Arabia, the first Winter Asiad medal won by Thailand (men's freeski slopestyle) and the first Indian contingent to contest the speed skating team events (men's team spring and team pursuit),among many other highlights, have served as a strong testament to the increasing involvement of Asian countries and regions in winter sports.