(TAN): Locations across China have started receiving their first snowfall of the season bringing cheer among tourists ahead of the holiday season. Beijing and northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region welcomed their first snowfalls of the winter starting November 19, reported CGTN.
Visitors at the Forbidden City marked the early arrival of winter as flurries fell on the 600-year-old former Imperial Palace. The palace’s red walls and yellow tiles, as well as the bronze statues glistened with a thin layer of snow. The flurries enhanced the beauty and tranquility of the famous Beijing landmark.
The Great Wall is also sitting under a blanket of snow and amazing snow-clad visuals of the famous landmark is doing rounds in the social media.
Meanwhile, snowfall of up to 25.8 mm was recorded in Harbin, known as China’s ice capital, according to media reports. This brought a blanket of snow 17 centimetres deep in some places. The city, located in China’s northernmost province of Heilongjiang, has issued a red alert for heavy snow, the highest in China’s weather warning system, and upgraded the emergency response to the second-highest level.
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Snowstorms in Heilongjiang have grounded more than 187 flights at Harbin Taiping International Airport and forced expressways and schools to be closed, said media reports.
Suburban areas in Beijing saw light snow, a temperature drop, and strong winds for past three days. In northwest Beijing’s Yanqing District, the area’s mountains saw their first snowfall of the season this week.
On Changchi Highway in Xiangying Township, all of the mountains and plains were covered with a thin layer of snow. Snow-covered trees glittered while the winding roads stood out among the white tapestry. In Sihai Town, snow fell on the pine trees, creating a beautiful wintry scene, enticing enough for passersby to stop for photos.
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Looking north from Yongning Pavilion at the Beijing Garden Expo Park on Thursday, visitors could see the newly white-capped Haituo Mountain, the core area of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
The temperature will remain low for the next week, according to Beijing Meteorological Observatory’s report.
