Partial solar eclipse in Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province

The weather in many Chinese cities along the full solar eclipse path was not favorable for observing the phenomenon, according to the China Meteorological Administration's forecast at 8 a.m.

Zhu Jin, head of the Beijing Astronomical Observatory, said although overcast conditions blocked the view along the lower stream of the Yangtze, the shadow of the moon was visible moving behind the clouds.

It was raining in Shanghai when the total eclipse occurred at 9:35 a.m. The city put extra police on streets, and more than 30 police vessels patrolled the coast.

Only street lamps were left on, as the city turned off all landscape lighting to allow people to watch the solar eclipse.

It was forecast that the Zhoushan Islands of eastern Zhejiang Province would see the longest total eclipse lasting 6 minutes 9 seconds.

However, the view at Zhoushan was completely blocked by clouds.

Despite the unfavorable weather, 2,000 Buddhist monks and tourists joined a mass prayer for peace and stability in front of a statue of the Goddess of Mercy in Putuo Mountain, a Buddhist resort on the islands.

In Beijing, which was enveloped in mist Wednesday, some 200 astronomy watchers queued in front of the Beijing Astronomical Observatory at 6:30 a.m.. Staff at the observatory said the eclipse had sparked interest in astronomy.

Yang Jing, a high-school student from Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang, was excited to enjoy a clear partial eclipse view Wednesday.

"I didn't expect such a big crowd to watch the eclipse, since there haven't been any public gatherings since the July 5 unrest," she said.

A relative of Yang was injured in the violence, which left 197 dead and more than 1,600 injured.

"On the Nanhu Square, the observation was organized. We had astronomical experts to explain, as the moon's shadow crossed the sun," she said.

China holds one of the world's earliest celestial records of a solar eclipse. The ancient Shangshu, or Book of Documents, recorded a story of a solar eclipse from the Xia Dynasty (21st-16th centuries BC). Chinese emperors were known to take advice from astrologists when eclipses occurred.