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.

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

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 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 ...

The swimmers had trained daily throughout the year for this moment. They first had to carve out a pool in the Songhua River, thawing the 10-centimeter (4-inch) thick ice that froze overnight.

Yu Xiaofeng leaps as she jumps into a pool carved from ice on the frozen Songhua river in Harbin in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong ...

Participants race in an ice dragon boat event on the frozen Songhua River in Harbin, Heilongjiang province on Tuesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] Despite the extremely cold weather and ...

HARBIN, China (AP) — Faced with temperatures dipping to -30 Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit), visitors to China's wintertime resort city of Harbin often make a beeline for stalls selling padded clothing ...