In the midst of a frosty ice house, a massive hot pot beckons diners to gather, while surrounded by the icy city of Harbin, the capital of China's Heilongjiang Province, where temperatures frequently drop to -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit).

Surrounded by golden statues depicting the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac and replicas of chili peppers, visitors congregated on Monday (January 6) around the steaming hot pot picking out food ingredients from small containers to cook in broths.

The ice house is a showcase attraction at the 41st Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, which has been hailed as the largest and most spectacular edition of the event to date.

According to staff at the venue, the event used a record 300,000 cubic meters of ice and snow, the highest amount ever recorded.

(Production: Xiaoyu Yin, Josh D. Arslan, Daniel Lim)