Workers read a blessing at a folk ceremony marking the start of the ice harvest season on the frozen Songhua River in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Monday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The annual ice harvest started on Monday on the frozen Songhua River in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.

At a folk ceremony marking the start of the harvest, a group of workers in traditional costumes pulled the first block from the river after the head worker read a blessing.

Under the rules, each block of ice is to be 80 centimeters wide, 40 cm thick and 120 cm long.
 
Workers in traditional local costumes pull the first block of ice from the Songhua River in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Monday. The folk ceremony marks the start of ice harvest season. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

The traditional ceremony attracted thousands of residents and tourists who braved the extreme cold and strong wind on the frozen river.

Over the next three weeks, more than 1,000 workers will collect ice blocks, which will be transported to different ice and snow scenic spots in the city, including the Harbin Ice and Snow World Park.

The artists will carve the blocks into fanciful sculptures and transform the city into a winter wonderland.

After the ceremony, residents and tourists joined in various games on the ice and snow and ate local specialties.
 
Workers in traditional local costumes transport the first block of ice from the Songhua River in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Monday. The folk ceremony marks the start of ice harvest season. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]