Washington Capitals: Alex Ovechkin checks out Great Wall of China
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had a fun week in China.
On Tuesday, Alex Ovechkin met one of his biggest fans, a 10-year old named William Ye. Ye traveled from Shanghai to Beijing to meet the Washington Capitals superstar, a trip of over 600 miles!
Alex Ovechkin and the fan played video games and the fan showed Ovechkin a lesson not only in how to write his name in Chinese but what it means.
Crazy fact, there’s an eight contained within Ovechkin’s Chinese name.
Ye was among the crowd of fans that greeted Ovechkin at the airport upon his arrival in Beijing and if you look closely at the gift, there’s a picture of the two and a note that said “Dear Alex, I’m your big fan. Have a nice trip in China! Yours, William Ye.”
The two also competed in a Chopstick Challenge where they tried to stack hockey pucks with chopsticks.
On Wednesday, Ovechkin got a tour of the Forbidden City which is a palace complex located in central Beijing. This historical landmark housed emperors and was the former Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Per the Capitals website documenting the trip, the Forbidden City now attracts over 80,000 tourists a day!
https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1158974393424449536
Following the Forbidden City tour, Ovechkin headed to Bloomage Live, a compounded that’s modeled after LA Live featuring one of the rinks where 2022 Winter Olympic hockey will be played. After taking a tour, Ovechkin participated with 60 local kids in some ball hockey exhibition action.
Ovechkin’s trip to China wrapped up on Thursday in the best way possible. No trip to China is complete without seeing the Great Wall of China. The great wall met the “great eight”. Ovechkin took a chair lift to the top and got a spectacular view.
“What’s up, guys? It’s Alex Ovechkin. It’s a great experience to be in Great Wall China. Unbelievable view. Great experience. See you soon. Talk to yo soon. It’s very hot here too, so get some water,” said Ovechkin in the video.
Ovechkin documented the experience on his Twitter and Instagram stories. Lots of photos and selfies for this once in lifetime experience.
After taking in the sites, Ovechkin headed down via a toboggan.
That was a wrap for a successful week for the captain spreading the game of hockey in China. He made some new fans and left a lasting impact. Now he heads home to gear up for an exciting season ahead.