The largest-ever Asian Winter Games raised their curtain Sunday evening in Changchun, a northeast city in China.

President Hu Jintao officially opened the largest-ever Asian Winter Games, which have attracted all 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)) for the first time in their 21-year-old history. Dignitaries at the opening ceremony included OCA president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah.

North Korea and South Korea marched together under a flag bearing an image of the Korean peninsula for the second time in the Asian Winter Games after doing so in Aomori, Japan in 2003.

The Games to be co-hosted by Changchun and other cities in China's northeast Jilin Province, has attracted a grand total of 816 athletes spanning 26 countries and regions, compared to 741 athletes from 20 members in 2003.

A trio of laser rays flashed across the night-sky, setting the cauldron ablaze after six athletes set off the triple lasers.

China's first figure skating world champion Chen Lu and short-track speedskating former Olympic runner-up Li Jiajun were among the six, including five from Jilin.

China is fielding the biggest delegation of 261, including 81 men and 79 women who will compete in all 47 events during the Jan. 28-Feb. 4 tournament.
 
Japan dispatched the second largest delegation with over 110 athletes while South Korea ranks third. Next host Kazakhstan ranked fourth in the number of delegation members.

However, Japan, who ranked first in the last Games in 2003, is anticipated to top the medals tally again. China's strong hope is to overtake South Korea from third to second in the tally, according to Chinese deputy chef de mission Cui Dalin.

While the local organizers are preparing to cope with a full Asiad for the first time, China, host to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, has cherished a dream stretching beyond Asia -- bringing the Winter Olympic Games to the most populous country of 1.3 billion people.

Harbin, capital city of China's northeast province of Heilongjiang, made a bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Despite its abrupt failure in the first round bidding process in 2002, Harbin is determined to make the 2009 Winter World University Games a success.

"We need organizing experiences for an Olympics, and the World Universiad will be an important stepstone for our eventual bid for the Winter Olympics," said Heilongjiang Provincial Sports Bureau director Zhao Yinggang.

(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2007)