A cold endurance competition was held in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province on Sunday. A man called Jin Songhao challenged Chen Kecai, Guinness world record holder for full body ice contact endurance. Both of them are from Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

The participants were required to wear nothing but a swimsuit as they stood in a plastic container filled with ice cubes for as long as they could.

Jin challenged record holder Chen, who managed to stay for 1 hour 48 minutes 21 seconds in direct full body contact with ice on the frozen Jingbo Lake, Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang, on 14 March 2010.  

Workers fill boxes with ice cubes.

Chen Kecai(left) and Jin Songhao during the competition.

A young woman also took part in the contest.

Guinness records holder Chen Kecai, 53, is helped out of his ice container during the competition in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, January 2, 2011. 

Jin Songhao, 54, celebrates after setting a new world record, 2 minutes longer than his rival Chen.