Ice coated Xingkai Lake in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Sunday, creating a distinctive sight. Xinkai is located in Jixi, a city near the Russian border. The 4,380 square kilometer lake froze very quickly over the past few days due to an abrupt temperature drop. It usually takes 10 to 15 days for the freshwater lake to freeze each December. /Chinanews Photo

One brave tourist walks across the frozen surface. /Chinanews Photo

Cracked slabs of ice heaped on the lake shore. /Chinanews Photo