Even as the mercury dropped below freezing, enthusiasm soared among about a dozen hardy swimmers during an annual ritual in ...

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 ...

Gruff men shout over an angry motor as they float huge blocks of ice towards a rusty conveyor belt on the bank of a frozen river in northeast China. Every winter, dozens of workers brave sub-zero ...

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 ...

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 ...

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.