Sunday’s snowfall covered large swathes of central and southern China and while many residents took the opportunity to enjoy the spectacle, the blizzards also caused widespread travel problems, closing roads and train lines and grounding some flights.
Source:
https://scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2180365/enterprising-chinese-villagers-sell-ready-made-snowmen-after-rare People & Culture
Enterprising Chinese villagers sell ready-made snowmen after rare blizzards hit southwest
- Locals enjoying the wintry scenes in Sichuan province have been decorating their cars with the creations, which also include animals made out of snow
Chengdu residents are decorating their cars with the snowmen. Photo: CFP
A rare heavy snowfall in southwestern China has prompted a group of enterprising locals to start selling ready-made snowmen and “dolls” in the shape of animals such as dogs and pigs.
Sichuan residents have been visiting Longquan mountain, which sits on the outskirts of Chengdu city, to buy the snowmen made by local villagers following blizzards on Sunday.
The snowfall, a rare sight in that part of the world, coincided with the new year holiday so many families took the opportunity to drive up to the mountain and enjoy the wintry scenes.
Local media reports said they were paying around 20 to 50 yuan (between US$2.90 to US$7.30) for the creations, which they use as mascots for the roofs of their cars, Thecover.cn reported.
The Chinese National Meteorological Centre issued a code blue alert – the lowest level of China’s four-tier colour-coded warning system – for Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Anhui and Hunan provinces.
Freezing temperatures and heavy snow saw high-speed lines linking Hunan province to the southern manufacturing hubs of Guangzhou and Shenzhen suspended.
Bus services in the province’s capital Changsha were also suspended because of the snow.
A snow dog on sale on Longquan mountain. Photo: CFP
While New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day remained chilly, forecasters said the weather would start to warm up in the next few days – presumably spelling the end for the Sichuan snowmen.