being with wang yibo gives you this feeling: even standing right next to him, he seems to have retreated into his own world. He pours all his passion into that world. ( GQ April 2026 issue )
An invisible wind, yet he crosses the heights alone; half soft and tender, half strong and composed. @WangYibo #GQAprilWangYiboCover# Behind-the-scenes footage delivered~
the joy of sports is not just sweating. good athlete performance also requires thought and coordination. it can be described as: “the ultimate in strength, with gentleness contained within.”
text & translations from the GQ April 2026 issue spread from here.
Placed in the very center of the rooftop was a short "streetlight," about a meter tall. Wang Yibo only asked, "Is this lamp stable?" before climbing up. For a while, he tilted his head back, closed his eyes to rest, occasionally swaying gently, and smoothing his hair, which was billowing in the wind, with his hand. He sat there high up, his clothes billowing in the wind. At this moment in his life, he seemed to be enjoying the gale.
//
On a rooftop near the China World Trade Center, tents, streetlights, sofas, water tanks, and ladders were set up. On the day of filming, Beijing was hit by its biggest sandstorm of the year. On the 30-story-high rooftop, people could barely stand. The howling wind carried black sand and gravel, and people rushed towards the area filled with clothes and jewelry, using their bodies to hold down the flying tents. Filming was abruptly halted. Would the wind stop? If not, what would happen next? Someone asked: Was there a Plan B?
//
The wind showed no signs of stopping, and the original plan was no longer working.
The first problem was the tent. The tent, which was set up on the rooftop to hang clothes and change clothes, looked sturdy, but now it was like seaweed being tossed about in an ocean current. We had to take down the tent and urgently move all the clothes and accessories. Wang Yibo had to go to the building next door to change clothes, or to the narrow stairwell, neither of which would be very comfortable.
The second question is, how to maintain a decent appearance in the wind? Fortunately, the set for the second outfit is a sofa. When he lies down, the thick leather can form a mini barrier, which can resist the wind from all directions to a certain extent.
//
But occasionally, an unexpected turn of events can lead to a surprisingly good result.
Wang Yibo in the wind revealed a different state. Perhaps the whistling sound reminded him of the experience of speeding on a racetrack, perhaps the powerful intervention of nature reminded him of the sense of focus and isolation when climbing in the wild, or perhaps it was simply because the wind was too strong, and complex movements were put on hold, giving him space to wander in his mind.
Although everyone was worried about the outcome of the shot, he appeared relaxed in front of the camera.
//
Being with Wang Yibo gives you this feeling: even standing right next to him, he seems to have retreated into his own world. He pours all his passion into that world. But Wang Yibo clearly didn't intentionally choose a path different from what people had planned for him; these things simply hold a natural attraction for him. Like racing, like rock climbing. If there's a common thread between the two, it might be that they both provide ample time for solitude.
//
The wind was still blowing as Wang Yibo nimbly climbed up. The photographer pressed the shutter, and a gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd: "Beautiful!" Against the backdrop of nothingness, his feet rose above the horizon. Wang Yibo sat there alone, as if he were sitting in a cockpit, or suspended on a cliff face during a rappelling.
//
Standing below, looking up at Wang Yibo from this angle, reminded me of Italo Calvino's "The Baron in the Trees"—he stands atop the treetops, "seeing everything, yet indifferent to everything"—he persists in being himself in a seemingly impossible way, while still maintaining a relationship with the world. Wang Yibo shifts his focus in different worlds, seeking a certain balance, but at this moment, resting on the rooftop, he is simply enjoying the feeling of the wind blowing.
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