This is the amusing moment a tourist used a tube of sweets to operate her smartphone screen to avoid exposing her fingers to the cold.

The woman was taking pictures amid freezing temperatures during the winter season in Harbin, China, on December 11.

Footage shows the holidaymaker struggling to swipe through the pictures she captured due to her gloves. She then improvises by using the hotdog-shaped candy as a makeshift stylus to navigate her gadget.

The woman said: 'It was so cold, and I didn't want to remove my gloves because I might get frostbite. Luckily, the candy worked like a charm.'

China's winters, lasting from late November to March, are famously harsh and cold, marked by strong winds, dry air, and sporadic frost and snow.