Cold spells have swept through parts of China recently, bringing unexpected snowfall to various regions.
In Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province, a section of National Highway 248, known as the "Locke Road," was hit by a sudden snow, with local authorities responding swiftly to ensure safety and smooth traffic on the road. The Locke Road, starting from Zhuoni County and ending at Zhagana scenic area in Diebu County, experienced continuous snowfall from Saturday night. Heavy snow accumulation and ice on the road disrupted traffic.
Most of the snow melted before Monday morning, but some road sections still had black ice. Traffic police issued warnings, reminding tourists and drivers of following weather forecasts and road information before heading to those sections.
In Shanxi Province, falling temperatures with a mix of rain and snow hit Taiyuan City. Experts say that it is the earliest first snowfall of a year recorded since 1951 in the region.
The wintry weather also affected expressways running through the city, prompting the deployment of police officers to ensure smooth traffic flow. Meanwhile, the first snow of the season blanketed Shanxi's Mount Wutai scenic area, one of four sacred Buddhist mountains in China, painting the landscape in a shimmering white coat.
To ensure the safety of visitors and motorists, local authorities also mobilized traffic police to guide vehicles and provide help at icy sections of the road.
Early snowfall hits China’s Gansu, Shanxi Provinces
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
