Nature

Spring Melts Winter In China's Ice Kingdom

Photos tell the story of one season supplanting the other.

HARBIN, CHINA - MARCH 30: Ice chunks float on Songhua River as temperatures rise on March 30, 2026 in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images) — HARBIN, CHINA - MARCH 30: Ice chunks float on Songhua River as temperatures rise on March 30, 2026 in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province of China.
(Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

We've written about Harbin, the ice festival destination city in northeast China, several times. And while the city usually takes its turn in the spotlight during the middle of the winter, a photographer captured another side of the season in Harbin on Monday. In golden light, the images show migratory birds returning to the city as the ice upon the Songhua river finally melts away. The photos are a clear expression of the passage of time between seasons, as spring supplants winter. Enjoy.