"Polar Bear" swims begin in NE China

A sure sign that winter has arrived in China. Locals in Heilongjiang's provincial capital, Harbin, have begun their annual tradition of plunging into the frigid waters of the Songhua River, November 25, 2018. Tradition holds that taking part in so-called "polar bear" swims helps strengthen one's immune system during the often-harsh winter season in northeast China, where temperatures are known to dip as low as -40 degrees Celsius. [Photo: VCG]