Rarely-seen snow crystals form on China’s Jiuhua Mountain

World Today

Rimes, frozen water-droplet formations, used to be winter attractions exclusively seen in north China. However, climate changes in recent years have allowed for the beautiful ice coating to form on trees in many southern tourist sites.
A sudden temperature drop in Anhui Province shows us a perfect moment for capturing a perfect photograph. CCTV’s Mu Fangzhou reported the story.

In China, rimes, frozen water droplet formations, used to be a winter attraction exclusively seen in Jilin Province. Along with climate change in recent years, this beautiful ice coating on trees can be seen in many tourism sites around China. Tourists brave temperature drops from Anhui Province to Jilin Province for picture-perfect moments captured by photography.

In southern Anhui Province, the unexpected temperature drop and rain in turned the pine forest into an ocean of snow crystals. Usually soft rime forms near rivers, where the frost is formed by direct deposition from water vapour to solid ice. However, what makes Jiuhuashan rime special is that there’s no running water in the mountainous area, the feathery and milky ice coating is formed because of the rain mist and light wind.

“I’ve never seen this in my hometown Shanxi Province. It’s like a fairytale,” one tourist said.

Local weather forecasts said the light rain weather will last for another few days. The soft rime is to remain as well, attracting tourists and photographers to come for the unique experience.

Meanwhile in Linjiang city of Jilin Province, winners of a snow photography competition were announced. A selection of 119 outstanding pieces out of 1,000 submitted works were on display, showcasing the beauty of Changbai Mountain in winter.

Linjiang is a historical city within the Changbai Mountain area, and is located close to the border of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).