China's capital, Beijing, on Sunday turned white when it received its first snow this winter.
Roads were covered in snow soon after 10:00 a.m. when the snow began, but traffic remained orderly.
Sources from the city's traffic management bureau said 457 extra policemen were assigned to major streets and roads and more than 300 extra patrol cars were dispatched to ensure accidents were dealt with quickly.
Highways between Beijing and Tianjin, another municipality southeast of Beijing, Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, and Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, were all closed Sunday.
But the airport expressway stayed open and no flights were reported delayed or canceled.
The snow also excited some sports-loving locals. Liu Qing, a Beijinger told Xinhua while showing off his skiing stunts in Shijinglong ski field that skiing was enjoyed by many people.
The snow stopped at 4:00 pm. No more snow is forecast in the next few days, but gentle to moderate breezes will hit the city, making temperatures drop further.
(Xinhua News Agency December 16, 2002)
