Ice hockey is seeing a sudden increase in popularity in China. Many parents in this country are enrolling their youngsters into activity, despite the high cost involved with playing.

Each afternoon, ice rinks in Beijing—often located in local malls throughout the capital—are crowded with youngsters playing hockey. The sport, which has struggled to find a foothold in the country, is suddenly generating a lot more interest among Chinese youth.

Nine-year-old Li Muyun has been playing for more than three years. As one of the top players on his Tsinghua University primary school team, he trains almost everyday.

But the sport is not cheap. If families want their children to play in league games, or against other schools, the average price is 500 RMB per contest, and as for training sessions, some schools, like Tsinghua, pay for practice time, but more money is needed for kids to play outside of school.

Despite the high cost of the sport, parents still want their children to be involved because of the physical and emotional benefits they can gain from team-based competitions.

And with more children getting involved in the game, it may not be long before China sees its first star playing in the NHL.

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