China's famous ice and snow festival has opened during an unusually cold winter.

The 26th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin city in Heilongjiang province opened on Tuesday bringing a winter wonderland to visitors from China and across the world.

The winter this year has been bitingly cold and the lowest temperature in Harbin so far has been -34 Celsius degrees.

Despite the freeze, more than 50,000 people are expected to enjoy huge ice buildings in architectural styles from around the world, including giant pagodas and enormous ice Buddhas.

The festival, established in 1985, traditionally runs from mid-December to early February.

AP