Smoke and steam are part of daily life in Harbin. The poorest parts of the city are coal-heated. The sulfur, brown-coal smell permeates suburbs and clothes in windless mornings. Moving to the city center, high chimneys from centralized heating stations paint the sky with clouds. Along the street, boiling pots with sweet potatoes and food booths provide their share of steam for the day.

A ride through the coal-heated neighborhoods: one chimney one family

A ride through the coal-heated neighborhoods: one chimney one family

Steamed sweet potato , most popular street food in Harbin

Steamed sweet potato , most popular street food in Harbin

Modern heating for modern neighborhoods

Modern heating for modern neighborhoods

What's boiling there?

What’s boiling there?

A almost cloudless sky

An almost cloudless sky above the city canal

Smoke on the highway ...

Smoky truck on the frozen highway

This post is part of the reportage Detour to China. Click each picture to enlarge.