Snow and plummeting temperatures have turned the cities of Yantai and Weihai in east China's Shandong Province into a white fairyland, immersing visitors in a breathtaking winter world.
At a seaside park in Zhifu District, Yantai, the railings nearby were covered in a thick layer of ice, approximately 10 centimeters thick.
With the icicles along the coast, snowflakes falling from the sky and seagulls hovering low over the landscape, many locals and tourists roamed through this frozen wonderland, snapping pictures.
It's common for seaside railings in Yantai to develop icicles each winter, which draws large crowds eager to photograph the unique sights.
On Friday, a heavy snow blanketed the Swan National Nature Reserve in Rongcheng City of Weihai.
The swans in the reserve rambled freely, glided across the snow-covered landscape and foraged for food.
Their pristine white feathers blended harmoniously with the falling snow, creating a mesmerizing scene that attracted legions of tourists and photographers.
According to staff members at the reserve, large numbers of swans begin migrating to the park since October every year to spend the winter. As the local ecological environment improves year by year, the number of swans coming to winter at the park has steadily increased.
Snow turns Shandong's coastal areas into winter wonderland
A major port in northern Venezuela came under U.S. airstrikes in the early hours of January 3, which caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, destroyed critical medical supplies in a warehouse, and severely impacted centuries-old cultural heritage sites, according to local residents.
The La Guaira Port, a vital hub for imports that support daily life in the region, was heavily damaged during the attack.
Large quantities of medical supplies stored at the port were destroyed. A historic cultural building dating back for some 300 years was also badly damaged by the bombardment.
Residents living near the port recalled the terrifying scenes as explosions shook nearby neighborhoods.
Humberto Bolivar, who lives in a community separated from the port by only a main road, said the blast waves shattered his home's windows, while stray shrapnel struck the water tank on his roof. According to reports, three missiles were fired at the port that night.
Bolivar said that beyond material losses, he is most concerned about the psychological impact on his children, who remain too frightened to leave their home days after the attack.
"The United States invaded our country. The children were frightened. This is not good for them, because it leaves some children with psychological trauma. They do not want to go to school or leave the house, because they are afraid that something worse might happen. We truly do not want this to happen to our country," he said.
Apart from civilian facilities, local cultural heritage site was also affected.
The La Guaira state government building, a structure with nearly 300 years of history and once served as the site of Venezuela's first national customs office, was struck by the force of the explosions.
Windows of the building were shattered, and furniture scattered across the floor.
"As people of La Guaira, we feel deep pain. Our cultural heritage has been bombed. We are living in constant anxiety and suffering, and life can no longer be the same as it was before," said a local named Henry Cumares.
The U.S. side has claimed the airstrikes targeted warehouses allegedly used to store narcotics. However, locals refuted such accusation.
"According to what Donald Trump said, they bombed this place using the excuse that the warehouses here were used to store drugs at the port. But based on the video released by our governor, these warehouses that were burned contained medicine for kidney patients and foods. Many people depend on these supplies to survive. I think the bombing is extremely despicable," said a local resident named Alejandro Capriles.
US strike hits Venezuelan port, wrecking medical supplies, heritage building
