[Photo story] A cold start to the Year of the Rabbit
27 Jan 2023
Since China entered winter late last year, temperatures have plunged to record lows in various Chinese cities entering the Year of the Rabbit. ThinkChina brings you on a pictorial journey into these snowclad places in China, and how the Chinese people are spending the festivities.
A woman rests on a tour bus outside the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, on 23 January 2023. (Wang Zhao/AFP)
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Since mid-January, cities across China have been experiencing sub-zero temperatures, just as millions of people embark on the Chinese New Year travel rush, widely known as the world’s biggest human migration. The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said temperatures fell by 8 to 12 degrees Celsius across much of eastern and southern China on 25 January.
Beijing
The NMC said that on the morning of 25 January, Beijing’s Mentougou district recorded its lowest-ever temperature of -22.4 degrees Celsius.
An elderly person stands outside a house amid snowfall in Beijing, China, 12 January 2023. (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)A woman protects herself from the cold and the wind during Spring Festival celebrations in Beijing, China, 23 January 2023. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)Vendors prepare hot drinks in Yuanmingyuan Park on a cold day in Beijing, China, 23 January 2023. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)Tourists walk towards the entrance of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, on 23 January 2023. (Wang Zhao/AFP)People visit a business street during the Spring Festival in Beijing, China, on 25 January 2023. (Wang Zhao/AFP)Workers build a snowman at a park after a light snowfall overnight in Beijing, China, on 23 January 2023. (Noel Celis/AFP)
Shanghai
Cities from Shanghai to Tianjin and Guangzhou experienced their coldest days this winter on 24 and 25 January, but the chill did not stop the crowds from being out and about.
People visit Yu Garden on the first day of the Year of the Rabbit in Shanghai, China, 22 January 2023. (Aly Song/Reuters)People visit Yu Garden ahead of the Year of the Rabbit, in Shanghai, China, on 9 January 2023. (Hector Retamal/AFP)A woman walks in heavy snow in Changning district, Shanghai, 15 January 2023. (CNS)
Jiangxi
Regional authorities have issued warnings about bad weather and low temperatures, while many people across China face a shortage of natural gas for heating during the cold winter.
This photo taken on 15 January 2023 shows people holding umbrellas walking along a street during snowfall in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China. (AFP)This photo taken on 15 January 2023 shows railway workers clearing snow from a railroad track during snowfall in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China. (AFP)This photo taken on 15 January 2023 shows a railway worker clearing snow from a railroad track during snowfall in Jiujiang, in China's central Jiangxi province. (AFP)
Heilongjiang
In Heilongjiang in northeastern China, the temperature in Mohe city dropped to -53 degrees Celsius on 22 January, lowering the previous record of -52.3 degrees Celsius seen in 1969. Mohe is the northernmost city in China, located near Russian Siberia with a subarctic climate.
People walk on blocks of ice on the frozen Songhua river in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China, on 6 January 2023. (Hector Retamal/AFP)Children play at the Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China, on 5 January 2023. (Hector Retamal/AFP)People visit the Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China, on 5 January 2023. (Hector Retamal/AFP)A man dives into a pool cut into the frozen Songhua river in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China, on 5 January 2023. (Hector Retamal/AFP)A woman reacts after swimming in a pool cut into the frozen Songhua river in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China, on 5 January 2023. (Hector Retamal/AFP)Men build a snow house at the Harbin Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China, on 4 January 2023. (Hector Retamal/AFP)
Liaoning
Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province, also saw temperatures falling to -23.8 degrees Celsius.
With the launch of a series of ice-snow tourism activities, Liaoning province welcomed about 6.27 million tourists over the three-day New Year holiday, reaping a tourism revenue of about 4.8 billion RMB (about US$698 million).
This photo taken on 29 December 2022 shows a person visiting a lantern show ahead of the new year in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China. (AFP)This aerial photo taken on 3 December 2022 shows an aerial view of Beiling Park after snowfall in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China. (AFP)This aerial photo taken on 3 December 2022 shows a winter swimming enthusiast swimming in a partly frozen lake after snowfall in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China. (AFP)This aerial photo taken on 3 December 2022 shows a person walking along a frozen lake after snowfall in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China. (AFP)This photo taken on 13 November 2022 shows people visiting Beiling Park after snowfall in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China. (AFP)
Jilin
The 21st Chagan Lake Fishing and Hunting Cultural Tourism Festival began on 25 January in Songyuan, Jilin province. The annual ritual dates back to the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) and was listed as an intangible national cultural heritage in 2008. Chagan means sacred, white or pure in Mongolian, and Chagan Lake spans more than 500 square kilometres, making it one of the ten biggest freshwater lakes in China. The two-month event is expected to attract 1 million tourists, with a revenue of about US$116 million.
Folk performers take part in the opening ceremony of the annual Chagan Lake Winter Fishing Festival in Songyuan, in northeast China's Jilin province on 28 December 2022. (Jade Gao/AFP)This aerial photo shows visitors watching as fishermen use a net placed under the ice to catch fish during the annual Chagan Lake Winter Fishing Festival in Songyuan, in northeast China's Jilin province on 28 December 2022. (Jade Gao/AFP)Fishermen bring in their catch using a traditional method by placing a net under the ice during the annual Chagan Lake Winter Fishing Festival in Songyuan, in northeastern China's Jilin province. (Jade Gao/AFP)Local residents and tourists select and buy fish during the annual Chagan Lake Winter Fishing Festival in Songyuan, in northeast China's Jilin province on 28 December 2022. (Jade Gao/AFP)
This article was put together by Grace Chong and Candice Chan, ThinkChina.
