The annual ice and snow festival in Harbin, China, has officially kicked off. The yearly event not only attracted a huge number of tourists in the region but also featured a lot of artists and their various artifacts.

A statement posted on the festival's website took note of a sample art carving of a two-storey building, which was nearing its third storey. The artist began the production of the project in mid-December last year.

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Although negative predictions on weather conditions broke, hundreds of swimmers still chose to take their chance with nature, dipping themselves into the literally 'ice-cold' Songhua river water, the Daily Mail reported. Dubbed as "winter swimming" by the Chinese community, the event is a common passive activity for the middle-aged and elderly groups.

"I am very excited and feel pretty happy," 51-year-old Yu Dongbo said. "My body feels super cool."

According to China Daily, the event is attracting both local and foreign tourists who come to visit one of the coldest regions in the entire Chinese country.

Qing Wenyu, one of the early local tourists from the Guangxi region in Southern China, spoke of his childhood fantasy to attend the festival.

"Back when I was still in primary school, I read about how it snows in the northern part of our country," Qing said, adding that he had a yearning to tour the venue for almost a decade.

The Thursday event will continue until the end of February, with the number of tourists expected to rise overtime.

Tagschina, Ice and Snow Festival, Harbin