First snow comes early to northern city in Heilongjiang

China's northernmost city Mohe in Heilongjiang province welcomed the first snow of the coming winter on Sunday, about 25 days earlier than last year, said the local observatory.

"Affected by cold air, a strong northwesterly wind hit the city on Sunday and the temperature dropped by 8 C," said Yu Jiayi, a forecaster at the observatory. "The lowest temperature over the following two days will be around-3 C and it is expected to increase slightly on Thursday."

The region, regarded as the coldest in China, usually sees winters lasting eight months. Its record low is-52.3 C.

While mountains around the city are enjoying colorful autumn leaves, the falling snow has turned the whole city into a white fairyland.

"It's my first time in Mohe where I originally planned to experience the cool and colorful autumn," said Zhang Lina, a tourist from Beijing. "I never imagined that I can enjoy winter time in advance."

"I feel so lucky to see the beautiful scenery, seemingly from different seasons, on the same day," she said. "I have sent photos to my family members, hoping to share the scenery with them."

On Monday, the coal-burning heating systems were fired up in the city, 10 days earlier than required by regulation.

"We had finished the work of testing and adjusting equipment on Friday," said Li Shihe, general manager of the city's heating company. "We started the systems as soon as the temperature dropped to keep residents' homes warm."