Rare April snow falls on Mt. Laoshan

A heavy snow carpeted Mt. Laoshan and coastal areas of Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province on Wednesday, creating a beautiful silver scene at the popular tourist spot.

The snowfall began at noon and lasted about three hours.

Employees at Mt. Laoshan say about 200 tourists have visited the snowy mountain.

"It snows on the mountain, and it rains at the bottom, which is a rare scene," said Li Deping, a climate expert from the city's weather observatory. "Many tourists came to see the beauty in the snow, with a lot of Qingdao residents drawn to the attraction by the snow."

Qingdao has not seen snow in April since 2000, Li said, adding that a current cold front was the main reason for the cold weather, frost and snow.