Affected by the strong cold air, the Baotou city section of the Yellow River froze on Dec 5, with the ice covering 146 kilometers of the waterway in total in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region – creating some magnificent scenery.

The icebound Yellow River glows, reflecting light at sunset. [Photo provided by Li Qiang]

Winter wonderworld: The Baotou section of the Yellow River is now covered with ice. [Photo provided by Li Qiang]

A fascinating overhead view of the icebound river. [Photo provided by Li Qiang]

The blocks of ice on the river present fascinating geometric patterns and shapes. [Photo provided by Li Qiang]