In the heart of winter a dense mist blankets the Songhua River as it winds through Jilin City of northeast China Jilin ...

In air temperatures of -13 degrees Celsius (8.6 degrees Fahrenheit), swimmers carved a pool out of the icy waters of the Songhua River in the northeastern city of Harbin. The frigid swim was the ...

The swimmers trained daily throughout the year for this. They first carved out a pool in the Songhua River, breaking the 10-centimeter (4-inch) thick layer of ice that had formed again overnight ...

For those who want to relive a fairy tale, Xuexiang, located less than a two-hour drive away, exudes an enchanting dreamlike ...

Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit), visitors to China's wintertime resort city of Harbin often make a beeline for stalls selling padded ...

A man chats with residents in winter clothings as he prepares to swim in a pool carved from ice on the frozen Songhua river in Harbin in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province, Tuesday ...

the industrial city in China's northeast turns into a magnet for those from China's balmier regions wanting to experience the ...

Even as the mercury dropped below freezing, enthusiasm soared among about a dozen hardy swimmers during an annual ritual in northeast China’s ice city of Harbin.

The swimmers train throughout the year for this. They first carve out a pool in the Songhua River by breaking the thick layer of ice that forms again overnight and scooping out the pieces.