23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
It is currently raining ahead

A ribbon of road unwinds across the empty grassland, stretching toward the edge of the sky—where a dense veil of rain tumbles from the clouds, stitching heaven to earth in soft, glistening threads. The air hangs quiet, save for the hush of that distant downpour, turning the horizon into a blur of gray and green, as if the world itself has paused to watch the rain weave its slow, gentle spell.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 05.2025
Date Uploaded: 09.2025
Photo Location: OYO, Congo
Copyright: © PENG CHEN