23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Watching Notre Dame Cathedral in Repair

The Notre Dame Cathedral was damaged in a fire in April 2019. Afterwards, it was closed for repair. When I was in Paris in 2023. It was still closed. A large stair of chairs were placed in face of the cathedral for people to sit and watch. A lot of people would stop and sit there. They watch the construction, they chat, they take the photos, or they just simply sit and think.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2023
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: France
Copyright: © zhi wen shen