In pictures: Harbin ice festival
The annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is taking place in China's north-eastern province of Heilongjiang and is expected to draw about 800,000 people to see the sculptures.
The festival is known for its colourful light shows that create a magical world of ice.
As well as the ice sculptures, some couples took part in a joint wedding ceremony before posing for their wedding photographs.
Here a visitor looks for space to hang a piece of red ribbon bearing her wish on a column of ice.
Teams from a number of countries compete to carve sculptures out of the ice which is cut from the river.
Some of the sculptures can be interacted with, from ice horses...
... to an illuminated ice slide.
There is also an ice maze to explore though the more adventurous can compete in the annual ice swimming competition.
