Sweeping through north China, the snowfall left a four- to five-mm deep blanket in Beijing's downtown area.

The snow came to end by Wednesday morning and soon began to melt with rising temperatures, said Zhou Xiaoping, an engineer with the Beijing Meteorology Station.

"This is just Beijing in the winter," said Han Boping, a seniorcitizen who has spent his whole life in Beijing.

"The air is so fresh. I feel good even though it's colder than Hong Kong," said a tourist from Hong Kong, excitedly throwing snowballs with her friends in the Tiananmen Square.

The snow not only brought about a bright mood, but extra traffic control as authorities in the city dispatched extra policemen, patrol vehicles and tow trucks. About 300 vehicles and 450 policemen were sent to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.

Also affected was long-distance road transportation, which plays an important role in carrying a great number of farmers fromBeijing to their homes as the traditional Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, is approaching.

Several national roads were shut down and some buses have been delayed. But the situation will be changed as the snow has stoppedand good weather is expected, said officials in charge of long-distance transportation.

A massive snow in Beijing last month had lasted five days, setting a record for the city's greatest continuous snowfall in its meteorological history, which was first recorded in 1841.

(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2003)