A series of New Year festivities were launched at the Guanque Tower in Yongji City, Shanxi Province, during the Spring Festival holiday. The most spectacular one was the traditional Beibing performance, in which more than 20 men wore only shorts as they carried chunks of ice on their backs. The men braved the near-freezing temperatures and put on a drum and gong performance to send wishes to the gods for blessings and protection from misfortune.