On Wednesday, six baby mute swans and their parents swam at Beilong Lake in Zhengzhou City, the capital of central China’s Henan Province. The baby mute swans played with the ice floe curiously, displaying a vivid and graceful winter scenery on the lake.

The “mute” in the name of the swan derives from it being less vocal than other swans. It is recognizable by the pronounced knob atop the beak. Unlike the orange bill of adult swans, the bill of babies is black. With snow-white plumage and elegant posture, the mute swan is exalted in European ballets and fairy tales as a symbol of love and beauty. In China, the mute swan is under second-class state protection.

(All pictures via VCG)

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