A breathtaking winter spectacle unfolded in Genhe City, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as temperatures plunged to a bone-chilling -38 degrees Celsius.

On Wednesday, nearly 1,000 residents and tourists gathered outdoors, tossing hot water into the freezing air.

In seconds, the water vapor rose, condensed and burst into countless ice crystals, refracting sunlight into a dazzling, galaxy-like display.