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.

People have fun among snowmen in front of a shopping mall in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 3, 2025. Harbin, with many snow sculptures across the city, has emerged as one of China's top winter travel destinations, attracting tourists from around the globe. (Photo: Xinhua)

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.

Even as the mercury dropped well below freezing, enthusiasm soared among about a dozen hardy swimmers during a daily ritual in northeast China’s “ice city” of Harbin. The swimmers trained daily throughout the year for this.