Tourists play in the snow at the Bird's Nest in Beijing, Dec 26, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Chinese capital of Beijing is embracing one of its biggest winter festivals as the second "Meet in 2022" Ice & Snow Cultural Festival opened at Olympic Park on Thursday. It will run through Feb 8.

Two major Olympic venues are open to winter sports lovers: The Bird's Nest and the Water Cube, offering diversified activities, ranging from skiing and curling to ice hockey and snowboarding.