Freezing fun warms wintertime hearts across China

People play on an ice slide in Mohe in the northeast province of Heilongjiang on January 11. Mohe, known as the “north pole” of China, has an annual ice and snow period of up to eight months and the lowest temperature can reach minus 50 degrees Celsius. 

A man swims in an icy pond in Houhai, Beijing, on January 9. 

Tourists take photos of red-crowned cranes in Zhalong national nature reserve in Heilongjiang Province. With more than 500 cranes, the reserve is the largest center for the research and breeding of red-crowned cranes. 

A drone photo of Wuyi Mountain National Park on January 8 after snowfall in Fujian Province. 

A mother and her daughter appreciate the festive lanterns in Wuzhen, a watertown of Zhejiang Province. 

Meerkats gather under a heater light to keep warm in Chongqing Zoo on January 10. The zoo uses air conditioners and heaters to help animals in winter.