Despite arriving in Harbin, the Heilongjiang provincial capital, at midnight, Bu Shengyao rose early the next day and spent the entire morning posing for photos on the square in front of St Sophia Cathedral.

"This is my most important task during my trip to the city," said the 25-year-old from Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang province.

"Wearing European-style royal attire and holding a scepter, I enjoy the experience of dressing up as a princess," she added.

The cathedral, one of the best-known landmarks in Harbin and a well-preserved example of Russian Revival e architecture in China, is open to the public as an architectural art gallery.

Bu said: "As such photos are quite popular on social media, I booked my photoshoot with a travel photography shop in Harbin several days in advance. I have never seen such magnificent Russian-style architecture before, and I am really looking forward to receiving my photos."