The Temporary Ruins of Harbin’s Melting Ice Sculptures

Remember seeing photos of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in January—those huge ice sculptures set up in a park, part of an annual festival held in Harbin, northeastern China? Well, when the festival is over and springtime rolls around, those giant ice castles are left to melt and crumble in place, eventually becoming slushy piles cluttered with steel support rods, cables, and electrical wires that once powered colorful night lighting. Earlier this month, the photographer Wang Zhaobo visited Harbin to gather some fascinating aerial images of this ephemeral architecture returning to its liquid state.

Read more
Hints: View this page full screen. Skip to the next and previous photo by typing j/k or ←/→.

Most Recent

  • Dia Dipasupil / Getty for Tribeca Festival
    • In Focus
    • June 18, 2021
    • 35 Photos

    Photos of the Week: Mouse Hunter, Lake Jumper, Sunset Hiker

    Fancy hats at the Royal Ascot, a derailed train in Mexico, military exercises in Morocco, rhythmic gymnastics in Bulgaria, protests at the G7 summit in England, and much more

  • NASA
    • In Focus
    • June 16, 2021
    • 30 Photos

    The Beauty of Earth From Orbit

    In the past few months, crew members aboard the ISS have taken some amazing photographs of our lovely planet.

  • Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty
    • In Focus
    • June 14, 2021
    • 24 Photos

    Photos From the 2021 Westminster Dog Show

    Images of the dogs and their handlers during the three-day competition and preliminary activities

  • China Daily via Reuters
    • In Focus
    • June 11, 2021
    • 35 Photos

    Photos of the Week: Jovian Moon, Sunrise Piper, Sea Snot

    An optical illusion at the Eiffel Tower, a presidential election in Peru, a giant sinkhole in Mexico, a sunrise annular eclipse seen in New York City, a platypus health check in Australia, and much more

Most Popular on The Atlantic

  1. Kill the 5-Day Workweek
  2. The Internet Mocked Her as a Teenager. It’s Embracing Her Now.
  3. Expect the Unexpected From the Delta Variant
  4. The Dark Side of Fitness Culture
  5. What Mia Farrow Knew
  6. I Was Taught From a Young Age to Protect My Dynastic Wealth
  7. If You Want a Marriage of Equals, Then Date as Equals
  8. I Know the Secret to the Quiet Mind. I Wish I’d Never Learned It.
  9. How America Fractured Into Four Parts
  10. Chris Paul Bears the Brunt of Pro Sports’ Vaccination Problem
Back to Top