Enthusiasm soared among about a dozen hardy swimmers during a daily ritual in northeast China’s “ice city” of Harbin even as the mercury dropped well below freezing

In just 30 days, Harbin will welcome athletes from across Asia to pursue their dreams, while the world celebrates winter sports and the passion that drives them forward.

Glittering in her stunning golden costume, Cambodian dancer Choury Laorhours braved the bitterly cold weather to stage the Aspara dance, one of the traditional dances of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia repertoire, in front of the ice sculpture of the famed Bayon Temple of Cambodia.

Thai teams from Saowabha Vocational College and Saraburi Vocational College jointly took first spot at the 17th International Collegiate Snow Sculpture Contest in Harbin, China, the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (Ovec) said on Wednesday.

Decked in thick winter jackets, dozens of people stood in subzero temperature next to a pool at Harbin in China’s northernmost province of Heilongjiang on Sunday (January 5), waiting to watch members of a local swim team to take their plunge into the icy water.

Historical film "Harbin" has been sold to film markets in 177 countries, including Japan, its distributor CJ ENM said Wednesday.

The 41st Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival opened on Sunday, attracting more than 800,000 visitors on its first day. The annual event is held in China’s northeastern province of Heilongjiang.

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

Tourists pose for photos at the Harbin Ice-Snow World in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 5, 2025. Harbin, with its rich ice and snow resources and a diverse array of winter activities, has emerged as one of China's top winter travel destinations. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

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.

You can walk through historic monuments shaped from giant icy boulders, the Taj Mahal, the Temple of Heaven and even Warrior Square are all part of China's spectacular World of Snow and Ice in Harbin.

The opening ceremony of the 41st China Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival is held in Harbin, capital city of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on January 5, 2024. P