The observatory said it expects the snow to stick around in the capital until tomorrow. It began falling last Thursday; by the times it ends, the city will have experienced a winter wonderland for six days.

Strong winds of force 4-5 are predicted following the days of snow, and the temperature in Beijing will hover under zero degrees.

Experts said meteorological records show that this is the longest period of snow in the 53 years since the founding of People's Republic of China.

What was formerly the longest snowfall left the nation shivering in December 1989. It lasted for four days.

Beijing's traffic failed to pass the test of last year's winter snowfall. The heavy congestion caused by the storm is remembered by local residents as "the most serious traffic jam caused by snow in the city's history." The city made various preparations to facilitate traffic flow this winter.

The measures appear to have been effective: For the first time operation of the expressways has been normal. Not one has been closed to traffic during the snow.

The expressway to the Badaling section of the Great Wall was functioning well yesterday, although drivers were cautioned to go slowly because of slippery roads and poor visibility.

"I didn't expect to make the trip because of the heavy snow," said Ma Jun, who works for a newspaper and was on her way to Yanqing County in northwestern Beijing.

"But 122 told me that there was no problem with the expressway so that I could go on with my plan," she added, referring to a hotline for consultation on the city's traffic.

Some areas of Beijing got between 6 and 7 millimeters of snow on Saturday and the average amount reached 2 millimeters.

Many residents swept away the snow themselves and the municipality poured more than 1,541 tons of snow-melting chemicals onto the roads.

Since the city's first snow on December 15, Beijing has used 4,998 tons of snow-melting chemicals. Last winter the city used less than 1,000 tons.

In a bid to reduce accidents, hundreds of thousands professional street cleaners were sent to clear accumulated snow and ice from the city's streets.

Although there were some complaints about the difficulties of walking in the snow, a lot of people rushed out to the streets and parks to welcome and enjoy the beauty and fun of snow.

But the snow has hit the owners of resorts in the suburbs hard.

Only about 1,000 people opted to take in the winter scenery at the Badaling Great Wall over the snowy weekend. The weather reduced the site's weekend tourists by a third.

(China Daily December 23, 2002)