Snow and cold weather have hit northwestern and eastern areas of China, to coincide with the start of the coldest period of winter, as determined by the Chinese lunar calendar.

Snowfalls covered Qinghai Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwestern China.

Snowfalls covered Qinghai Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwestern China. The temperature fell to minus 15 degrees Celsius in Xining, capital of Qinghai.