After a fresh snowfall and clearing skies, Harbin in Northeast China staged an ice-and-snow carnival day that filled the city with winter sports and outdoor fun.

At the 2026 Harbin Asian Speed Skating Super Endurance Race, temperatures on the frozen river plunged to minus 24 degrees Celsius, as more than 500 competitors from seven countries and regions took part. Across the river, a one-kilometre circular natural ice track took shape, with professional skaters leaning low in pursuit of speed and amateur teams and public groups skating with equal enthusiasm.

On Taiyangdao Island, a winter hike drew some 2,000 participants along a six-kilometre route that threaded through multiple scenic spots. Families walked, took photos, and turned the trek into a broad “ice-and-snow ramble.”

Xu Wandi, Student:

“My mother and I came for the first time. I think it’s good exercise, and we get to see the snow sculptures. After finishing, there are certificates and souvenirs. I think it’s very meaningful.”

At the Yunliang River, the ice-crawl open race mixed running and crawling: competitors sprinted 400 metres and then entered a crawling section, where they raced on hands and knees.

Hou Yongbin, Champion:

“At first, the training was brutal — crawling 100 metres would leave you exhausted. You need strong core muscles. Crawling 800 metres burns as much energy as running five or six kilometres. Now my body feels fine, and I’m not cold at all.”

With multiple events, Harbin has turned a cold winter into a hot celebration: amid ice and snow, the city is staging athletic drama, family outings, and a growing winter-culture scene that organisers say will become a recurring showcase of the region’s seasonal vitality.