Winter swimmers jump into the icy water of the Songhua River in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, on Jan 5. [Photo by Liu Yang for chinadaily.com.cn]

Winter swimming in Harbin is a local cultural sport, showing the peoples’ strong will to combat cold weather. In winter, the outdoor temperature reaches to more than 10 degrees below zero, or even 20 degrees. In the early morning, winter swimming enthusiasts come to the Songhua River, break the ice and jump in. The winter swimming performance usually lasts from 10am to 2pm.