Swimming is a great exercise for health. But the people of Harbin, China have taken it to another level. There, people regularly cut the ice and make ponds and then dive into the frozen water. This is their almost casual 'pursuit'. This news was reported in a report by the American news agency AP.
Many people said that the hands and feet are paralyzed by the cold before entering the water at a temperature of 13 degrees Celsius below zero. Still they continued this practice throughout the year.
One such person is Shen Jia, who has been engaged in this practice for almost two decades. He originally hails from Zhejiang Province, about 1,700 kilometers south of Harbin. He came here to continue practicing as the water in his native area is not cold enough in winter. Better to say, the temperature in the city of Shen Jia in winter is a little above zero degrees!
After diving into the water, he told the AP reporter that this exercise boosted his confidence. Even though his whole body feels like needles when he gets into the water, his mind is filled with a kind of calmness and gratitude.
In Harbin, the practice of cutting through the ice and diving into the water in winter began in the 1970s, said resident Wu Xiaofeng. The town on the Russian border is inspired by the baptism process of Orthodox Christians. Fiercely devout Russian Orthodox complete their baptism by plunging into ice-cold water. With that inspiration, Harbin's 'Winter Swimming Association' was established in 1983.
Xiaofeng also said that Harbin is considered a pilgrimage for winter swimming. Besides, the city is also popular for its winter festival, where a variety of small and large ice sculptures are displayed.
Xiaofeng, 61, who has practiced for nearly three decades, feels a different kind of bond and joy through swimming. As winter swimmers tend to be healthier than others, Xiangfeng said, their campaign during the Covid lockdown was to not line up at the hospital, but line up for swimming.
Another person who regularly bathes in the ice-cold water is 76-year-old Yu Dekang. He claims that swimming has kept him so healthy that he has never suffered from a cold. He said, even if you don't swim for just one day in winter, you feel very uncomfortable!
