Famous Modern Chinese Buildings

Beijing International Airport

The first place most visitors see when they arrive in China is Beijing International Airport. The airport was built in the 1950s. It has an indoor garden, a children’s playground, and over 70 food businesses in Terminal 3 alone.

Shanghai World Financial Center

Since its completion in 2008, SWFC has won countless architectural（建筑的）awards（奖项）. Tourists are welcome at SWFC’s viewing platform, which at 474 meters above ground is the world’s highest closed viewing platform.

The Water Cube

It was built for use during the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. Now visitors can express surprise at the architecture of the building. They can enjoy the indoor atmosphere as well.

Among the offerings of the Water Cube are a restaurant and bar, a shopping area, and Water World, a family water park.

The Bird’s Nest, Beijing

It was designed（设计）mainly for the 2008 Summer Olympics. It can hold up to 80, 000 people and has been used as a sports stadium and for some big events. Nowadays, its main income（收入）is as a tourist traction. Once it drew more than 20, 000 tourists every day.

National Center for the Performing Arts

It was completed in 2007 at the cost of 3 billion yuan. It’s 212.20 meters long, and 46.285 meters high. The building is surrounded（包围）by a man-made lake, requiring guests to enter via an underground hallway with many fun facilities like opera house, musical hall, and gallery, etc.

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On Dec 7, Harbin had an ice-collecting festival. People got together on the Songhuajiang River and picked up the first ice cubes of the year. They cut the ice into big cubes 40 to 50 cm thick. The festival is a symbol of the city’s ice and snow season.

Ice cubes from the Songhuajiang River are clear. Later, sculptors (雕塑师) will turn the ice cubes into many amazing ice sculptures. “Ice is the body of a sculpture, and light is its soul (灵魂),” said Su Shi, an ice sculptor in Harbin.

Tools are important for making an ice sculpture. Chainsaws (电锯) and die grinders (电磨) are what people often use. Sculptors use them to make holes and carve (刻) small corners.

Irons (熨斗) are also very useful. After sculptors make small parts like a rabbit’s ear, they use irons to melt (融化) the bottom of the ear a little. So, the ear can stick onto the head.

You can find some amazing ice sculptures at Harbin Ice and Snow World. Also, the ice slide and Ferris wheel there will make your day. Winter can be hard for some people. But these sculptures brighten the long cold months.