But a new winter festival in Handan, north-east China, has encouraged hoards of people, wearing skimpy swimsuits, to frolic in a lake that's partially frozen over with enormous slabs of ice.

One man, Cui Deyi, a cold-weather challenger known as 'Huangshan Polar Bear', has even taken the opportunity to play chess while sitting in a giant tub of ice.

The first edition of the Yi Quan Lake Winter Swim Cultural Festival took place on January 16.

Over 600 keen winter swimmers travelled from all over China, including Beijing, Heibei, Henan and Shandong, to attend the festival according to the local newspaper in Handan, hdbs.cn.

One of the main events at the festival was Cui Deyi's ice tub chess challenge, where he won several games of Chinese chess despite wearing tiny swim shorts and shivering against the ice, which covered his lower extremities.

The well-known competitor currently holds the record for the longest winter swim in the sea.

After the ice-cold chess challenge, the winter swimming enthusiasts then stripped down into their swimsuits to brave the icy water of the lake.

Temperatures in the air were barely above freezing and huge slabs of ice had already formed on the surface of the lake.

Despite initial reservations and gasps of surprise, many of the visitors continued to play in the freezing waters.

The festival also featured other activities such as martial arts, fitness classes, ice related performances and winter photography sessions.

(Daily mail)