Mesmerising pictures from China’s Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival

The 2017 Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival has kicked off in China on January 5 and will go on till the end of February. The event is being held in China's northeastern province of Heilongjiang attracted people from across the country as well as other countries. It is one of the coldest places there, where the temperatures are known to fall even below minus 35 Celsius. Participants compete in an icy pool cut into the frozen Songhua river. In addition to winter swimming, which is believed to be beneficial for health by many middle-aged and elderly people, who are seen participating in large numbers, the festival also has ice rides and exhibition of ice sculptures that resemble famous landmarks, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Click through to see more pictures from the festival.

In this photo, contestants carve an ice sculpture during an international ice sculpture contest during the Harbin Ice and Snow festival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The city of Harbin in China's frigid northeast is in its final stages of preparation for one of the world's largest ice and snow festivals, an annual event that last year drew more than a million visitors. (Source: AP)

Artists work on snow sculptures at an exhibition in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China. (Source: Reuters)

In this photo, visitors tour a castle-like structure made from blocks of ice at the Harbin International Ice and Snow festival held in Harbin in northeastern's China's Heilongjiang province. The city of Harbin in China's frigid northeast is in its final stages of preparation for one of the world's largest ice and snow festivals, an annual event that last year drew more than a million visitors. (Source: AP)

Artists and workers prepare ice and snow sculptures for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, in Heilongjiang province, China. (Source: Reuters)

Workers pull a giant ice cube out of the frozen Songhua River as they extract ice to make sculptures for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, in Heilongjiang province, China. (Source: Reuters)

In this photo, visitors queue to enter a castle-like structure made from blocks of ice during the Harbin International Ice and Snow festival held in Harbin in northeastern's China's Heilongjiang province. The city of Harbin in China's frigid northeast has prepared for the world's largest ice and snow festivals, an annual event that last year drew more than a million visitors. (Source: AP)

Artists and workers prepare a snow sculpture for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, in Heilongjiang province, China. (Source: Reuters)

Contestants ski past a snow replica of the Qinian Hall of the Temple of Heaven during a competition in Changchun, Jilin province. (Source: Reuters)

A worker prepares an ice sculpture for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, in Heilongjiang province, China. (Source: Reuters)

Artists and workers prepare a snow sculpture for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, in Heilongjiang province, China.(Source: Reuters)

Workers pull a giant ice cube out of the frozen Songhua River as they extract ice to make sculptures for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, in Heilongjiang province. (Source: Reuters)

Artists prepare a snow sculpture for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, in Heilongjiang province, China. (Source: Reuters)

A snow sculpture is seen for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, in Heilongjiang province, China. (Source: Reuters)

An artist polishes an ice sculpture for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, in Heilongjiang province, China. (Source: Reuters)