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China welcomes Year of the Rat as snow subsides
Fireworks welcomed in the Year of the Rat on Thursday, with severe weather slowly subsiding.
- Agencies
- Published: 14:16 February 7, 2008
Chenzou: Fireworks welcomed in the Year of the Rat on Thursday, with severe weather slowly subsiding. Millions of Chinese spent a cold holiday as repair teams fought to restore power knocked out by the worst winter weather in a century.
For Li Hua, 34, the power came back on just in time for her to prepare the traditional New Year's Eve meal for her family. "I was so happy, and I felt so good when I was cooking the reunion dinner," she said.
China's leaders spent the eve of the Lunar New Year holiday in some of the worst-hit parts of south-central China commiserating with residents and encouraging relief workers.
In Chenzhou, one of the areas worst affected by the weather, lights were gradually coming back on after an 11-day blackout.
About 1,000 electricity pylons and poles have collapsed around Chenzhou under the weight of ice and snow, effectively destroying the local power grid.
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