Chilling Waters: Chinese Swimmers Embrace River Dives for Health and Happiness

HARBIN, China (AP) — Despite the temperature dipping below freezing, the spirits were high among approximately a dozen resilient swimmers taking part in an annual tradition in Harbin, an ice city in northeast China.

The swimmers had rigorously prepared each day throughout the year for this occasion.

They initially had to carve a swimming area in the Songhua River, melting the 10-centimeter (4-inch) thick ice that formed overnight. Following that, they disrobed and, one after another, jumped into the frigid waters of the approximately 10-meter (33 feet) long pool.

Some reported that their limbs were already tingling with numbness when the ambient temperature dropped to minus 13 degrees Celsius (8 degrees Fahrenheit).

Chen Xia, hailing from the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang, leapt into the river even though she was battling a cold. She remarked that the waters in her hometown were warmer than those in Harbin, where the temperature hovered around 0 C (32 F).

This endeavor bolstered her assurance in winter swimming, a pastime she has cherished for roughly two decades.

“I felt a tingling sensation all over my body,” shared Chen, 56. “Yet, it still brought me immense joy.”

Harbin local Yu Xiaofeng indicated that winter swimming in her city traces back to the 1970s, after residents observed Russian Orthodox individuals being baptized in the river. The city’s winter swimming association was established in 1983.

Harbin is deemed a “sacred place” for winter swimming, she stated, as the activity gained traction there sooner than in other regions of China.

Yu, 61, expressed that throughout her 30 years of swimming, she found a sense of belonging and happiness.

“Since the pandemic, we adopted a slogan: Better to endure winter swimming than stand in line at the hospital,” she mentioned, adding that winter swimmers seemed to experience better health compared to others.

You Decang, 76, stated that swimming maintained his wellness, and he had never caught a cold.

“If I skip winter swimming for just one day, I feel quite ill at ease,” he explained.

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Associated Press video producers Olivia Zhang and Caroline Chen in Harbin, China contributed to this report.