All-out efforts underway in northwest China to minimize disruptions triggered by snow

Snowfall hit several cities in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Shanxi Province from Friday to Saturday, disrupting traffic and prompting emergency response measures.

Starting from Friday afternoon, parts of the Beijing-Urumqi Expressway in Hami City, Xinjiang, experiences windblown snow, with strong winds carrying snowflakes and blowing onto the expressway, leaving visibility less than 10 meters.

With the temperature dropping to 22 degrees Celsius below zero, local traffic police blocked parts of the expressway impacted by the snowy weather out of safety concerns.

As of 22:00 Friday, more than 900 vehicles and more than 1,000 people were stranded on the expressway.

Traffic police rescued the stranded vehicles, and distributed food to drivers and passengers who were blocked due to the bad weather. By early morning on Saturday, trapped vehicles and personnel were led away from the blocked section on the expressway amid eased weather condition.

Parts of the Alxa League in Inner Mongolia welcomed their first snow on Friday and Saturday.

To ensure the safety and smooth flow of traffic, local sanitation and transportation departments responded immediately to remove snowdrifts and ice on the roads

Some parts of expressways in Alxa League were blocked due to the snowy weather, and the traffic control was lifted at noon on Sunday with traffic resumed.

North China's Shanxi Province also welcomed widespread snowfall on Saturday due to cold air, making some highways covered by snow and ice.

In a bid to ensure traffic safety, local transportation department mobilized personnel to clear snow and ice on roads, and provided hot water to drivers.  

In dangerous road sections, traffic police increased patrols and used alarms to remind passing drivers to slow down.

On an ice-covered part on Rongcheng-Wuhai Expressway, several trucks were trapped due to the snowy weather, and local traffic police officers offered hot water to drivers, and contacted road maintenance department for help to remove the snow and melt the ice on the roads.

All-out efforts underway in northwest China to minimize disruptions triggered by snow

More than 20 films will hit Chinese screens during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday from Saturday to Monday, spanning genres from revolutionary historical dramas, realism movies to suspense thrillers, according to the China Film Administration on Thursday.

Revolutionary historical films such as Blood-Spattered Cliff, Eight Sons, Eight Soldiers, and Half Of The Quilt, will pay tribute to martyrs through the lens.

Three films -- It's OK, Now I Met Her, and Sunshine Women's Choir -- tell moving stories of love, growth, and reconciliation.

It's OK is a contemporary family comedy that follows a mother and daughter navigating their joyful yet turbulent relationship. Now I Met Her tells a rebellious teenager who gets to know his late mother through her old diary. Sunshine Women's Choir, a film from the Taiwan region of China, portrays the "perfect" maternal love of "imperfect mothers."

The suspense film Game of Identity tells the story of two people from different backgrounds who accidentally swap lives, setting off an unexpected adventure. The documentary films Seeking Nature: The Code of Life, and Missions to the Moon (Part One) explore the connection between humanity and science.

Imported films from different countries, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, Project Hail Mary, and Hoppers, will deliver spectacular cinematic experiences to audiences.

The Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, falls on April 5 this year. It is a traditional Chinese festival for honoring the deceased and paying tribute to ancestors. The holiday also provides a short break for Chinese citizens as they engage in outdoor activities and sightseeing.

Over 20 films expected to hit Chinese screens during Qingming Festival Holiday