First snowfall hits 'the city of swans'

Sanmenxia city in Henan province traded falling autumn leaves for dancing winter flakes, as it received its first snowfall on Nov 19.

The snow fell from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, thrilling the citizens as a white blanket draped the city's landscapes like an elegant tablecloth.

"The snow-covered landscapes are unique and people like to record this special moment with cameras," said a resident surnamed Gao who took the pictures of the white snow lying atop the red lanterns.

Heading from Lushi county to Lingbao city, another resident surnamed Qu was attracted to the winter wonderland. Qu said that this was the first fall of snow in her hometown. She didn't miss the opportunity to increase her popularity on social media; the beautiful pictures she took received many likes from her friends on WeChat.

With the beauty of snow can sometime come trouble, which was fortunately not the case for Sanmenxia's first snowfall. The light snow did not cause any trouble for the traffic, but it was enough to moisten the farmland and nourish the crops.

White snow cakes traditional Chinese lanterns hung above the townspeople of Sanmenxia city on Nov 19. [Photo/henan.gov.cn]

A rich green peaks through an even coat of snow on a farmland, forecasting a good harvest for next year. [Photo/henan.gov.cn]

The village road is cleared while the rest of Sanmenxia city is engulfed in its first snowfall of winter on Nov 19. [Photo/henan.gov.cn]