Snow dusted the gilded roof ridges of the Shenyang Palace Museum, and the old city’s textures suddenly felt close enough to touch. In Shenyang, northeast China, children flopped into snow piles and squealed with delight, while adults joined snowball fights or broke into impromptu dances, turning the broad plaza into a spontaneous playground.

Blanketed roofs, frosted eaves, and the soft hush of falling snow made the historic ensemble feel like a living postcard, inviting visitors to slow down and savour the scene. Photographers and families alike wandered the grounds, capturing moments where architecture and weather met.

Many visitors also enjoyed seasonal treats such as sugar-coated fruit skewers (tanghulu) and ice cream, savouring small pleasures amid flying flakes and gleaming roofs while soaking up a lively, direct experience of a northeastern winter.