The Opening Ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025 was held on Friday night. International leaders from Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Brunei Darussalam, and Thailand attended the event. The ceremony's biggest highlight was the lighting of the cauldron. At the post-ceremony press conference, Zhou Wei, the Deputy Director of Ceremonies & Events Department introduced the design concept behind the lighting ceremony.

ZHOU WEI, Deputy Director of Ceremonies & Events Department, HAWGOC, "For the Opening Ceremony, we chose to hold the lighting ceremony at Harbin Ice and Snow World, the largest ice and snow theme park in the world. Lighting the cauldron in such a setting created a unique contrast, allowing our audience to feel warmth and strength amid the vast icy landscape. The design of this year's Asian Winter Games cauldron tower was inspired by Harbin's City Flower—the lilac. The lighting ceremony itself is named 'Light Up Asia,' and our specially crafted fireworks lit up the sky, perfectly embodying the theme of this year's Games: 'Dream of Winter, Love among Asia."