In southwest China, Yunnan Province has seen its first round of snowfall this winter. The precipitation has, to some extent, alleviated a severe drought the region has been suffering since last year. And as an added bonus, a rare sight of snow-blanketed objects in this subtropical province has delighted many local residents.

This was Yunnan a few months ago. A prolonged drought almost devastated the farmlands in a province that heavily depends on agricultural production.

The long overdue snow may not resolve all the problems, yet it can at least help farmland recover sooner and get ready for the harvest.

A villager of Shangrila county, Yunnan, said, "The snow is not yet enough. We need more. It's better when the snow is as high as my knee. When that happens, the crops in the coming spring will grow tall and fast. "

A villager said, "Some of the damage caused by the drought can not be repaired. We are preparing a lot of seeds and pesticide. We are still hopeful that we will have a good harvest."

It's not just the farmland, the vast forests in Shangri-la county have also blessed by this round of precipitation. Local officials say the woods are particularly susceptible to wildfires at this time of year.

Yang Hong, forestry official of Shangrila County,said, "With the snowfall, we have now lowered the fire emergency level."

Last but not least the snow added to the tourist attraction of the province.

Many tourists say they have had a better time touring around with the snow.

Because this round of snowfall is not sufficient, meteorological departments in Yunnan have to resort to cloud seeding. There are now 150 sites across the province where cloud seeding projects have been enacted.