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The Harbin Winter Festival, one of the most important in the northern hemisphere, began this weekend in China. In addition to traditional ice sculptures, a swimming tournament takes place with hundreds of people in freezing temperatures.
Amateur swimmer Yu Hongtao, 50, has been training for months in the icy waters of the Songhua River.
"You have to start swimming in the fall so that the body gets ready for the sudden impact of ice on your cardiovascular system," said Yu, a resident of Harbin. "The feeling of diving into the water is very cool."
Temperatures can drop to -35ºC in the city of China's Heilongjiang province. The festival attracts millions of visitors from around the world every year since it was founded in the early 1980s.
The Songhua River sleigh, mbad weddings and huge sculptures of ice and snow carved by thousands of artists and workers. See photos:
The Chinese are trying to warm up after a tournament in icy waters – Photo: Tyrone Siu / Reuters