A leaf-made street lamp is designed by the roadside. [Photo/IC]

Sculptures made entirely of fallen leaves appeared along Nanshan Road on Dec 19, marking the opening of the China Academy of Art's annual Autumn Leaf Art Festival in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

Outside the academy's main gate, layers of leaves were transformed into poetic public artworks. Visitors first step onto a leaf carpet at the entrance before encountering installations such as A Letter from the Wind, Endless Light — a leaf-made street lamp by the roadside — and Where Did the Horse Go?, a whimsical scene featuring elephants, rabbits and giraffes gathered around a table, as if pondering the absence of a small horse.

Blending nature, imagination and urban space, the leaf sculptures have once again turned Nanshan Road into a romantic open-air gallery, signaling the arrival of the art academy's seasonal creative ritual.

The leaf-inspired artwork Where Did the Horse Go?. [Photo/IC]