People in the Taonan City in northeast China's Jilin Province saw quite the sight this week as thousands of ice balls covered the shore of Sihai Lake. A nearby resident captured the rare phenomenon on video.

The video clips soon became one of the most-watched on social media, as it happened at the time when Chinese people are celebrating the Lantern Festival, and a delightful dessert called Tangyuan is served as part of the family reunion meal. "Ice Tangyuan" is what the locals have named this unique sight. 

The rare phenomenon is only spotted about a handful of times around the world each year. Meteorologists say, to see the configurations, there needs to be clear ice in the water and waves that acts like a roller.