As temperatures plunge, the Hukou Waterfall, China's second-largest waterfall, located on the border between Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces in northern and northwestern China, transforms into a stunning icy waterfall spectacle, drawing crowds of tourists and photographers.
The Hukou Waterfall is the largest waterfall on the Yellow River, China's second-longest river.
It is located where the Yellow River, flowing through a canyon in the region, narrows abruptly from over 300 meters to just 50 meters wide, plunging more than 30 meters into a deep riverbed.
This natural wonder is named for its resemblance to a giant kettle pouring water. Known for its thundering roar and turbulent currents, it cascades down the cliffs with breathtaking power, leaving visitors in awe of its sheer force and beauty.
Each winter, freezing temperatures cause the waterfall's mist and splashing water to crystallize on rocks and railings, creating delicate ice formations that shimmer alongside the rainbow in the waterfall's mist, crafting a breathtaking "Ice Waterfall" landscape.
In addition, large chunks of floating ice accumulate downstream, forming an "Ice Bridge" that resembles a giant white dragon winding through the canyon.
These winter wonders have become a major magnetism for tourists, with the area enhancing safety measures such as more signs and increased patrols to ensure visitor safety.
Visitors amaze at majestic icy spectacle at Hukou Waterfall in north China
The universal "reciprocal tariffs" imposed by the United States signals a decline in the U.S. economic dominance and dollar hegemony, as the country is attempting to extract excessive financial benefits from its trading partners, according to economists, who warn the Trump administration is playing a "dangerous game".
U.S. President Donald Trump last week signed an executive order on the so-called "reciprocal tariffs," imposing a 10-percent "minimum baseline tariff" before unveiling higher rates on certain trading partners. The policy sent shockwaves throughout the global economy and triggered panic on financial markets, with analysts warning of significant risks and dire economic consequences.
In an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN), Hong Hao, chief economist of the GROW Investment Group, a Shanghai-based hedge fund, said the tariffs reflect Trump's strategy to extract economic benefits from trading partners, particularly viewing China as a significant competitor. "Trump really believes that the trade terms with the trading partners have been unfair to the U.S., and as a result, the U.S. manufacturing sector has been hollowed out. Therefore, the U.S. is paying an excessive price for globalization, and now, it's time to pay back. I think, from this angle, he is trying to extract economic rent from its trading partners, and also he is trying to see China as one of the major U.S. rivals at this juncture. So, I think, as a result, he is playing a very dangerous game. And, as you can see, it's political theater in the sense that he is trying to dramatize the extreme pressure, so that he can get excessive rent from the opponent," he said
Trump's unilateral imposition of tariffs has eroded global confidence in the U.S. and its dollar's status, leading many to state that the American hegemony may not persist, according to Josef Gregory Mahoney, a professor of politics and international relations at East China Normal University.
"The U.S. economy is at an inflection point. There is a moment where the previous strategies being used to sustain American hegemony were no longer working. And, it's only a matter of time before the U.S. position erodes, given the fact that it's been a house of cards built on the dollar supremacy. And a lot of people don't see that as having a brighter future. This has moved past the theater stage and has moved really directly into one in which no one really has confidence in the U.S. anymore. No one has confidence in the dollar. No one has confidence in the U.S. being committed to the multilateral system, to global trade and so forth and so on," he said.
Trump playing "dangerous game" as tariff measures signal decline in U.S. dollar hegemony: economists
