| I had witnessed the first snow fall in Beijing last | | | | Christmas time till early January. |
| year at early November, now in mid-March the | | | | Not only it is the longest winter of the city, it is |
| snowy weather is still troubling me and the | | | | also the coldest winter. According to the local |
| temperature is still below zero degrees. It is | | | | weather broadcasting institution, it is the coldest |
| definitely the longest winter in Beijing. | | | | winter in the near 50 years. Of course, I caught a |
| One of my friends said he used to believe the | | | | cold under such weather and one night I had to |
| climate change was just nonsense talk, but after | | | | go to the local hospital for some medicines. I will |
| this winter he is a firm believer of the global | | | | never forget what I have seen in the hospital, |
| climate change. He was born and raised in Beijing, | | | | numerous people were sitting in the clinical room |
| he remembered clearly that back in the year of | | | | waiting for their treatment, though you got your |
| 2001, he had not seen any snowflakes in the | | | | emergency treatment, you still have to wait up |
| whole winter, "people were talking about the | | | | to 15 minutes before you see the doctor. The |
| warm winter at that time", but 10 years later the | | | | doctor told me he had been working overtime for |
| extreme weather had been the central topic | | | | soaring number of the people who were knocked |
| wherever I went and talk with local people. | | | | down by the cold. |
| Beijing is in northern part of China, the Chinese | | | | After mid-March, no central heating was available |
| living in those areas were using central heating | | | | in the city and it seems local people would have |
| system to warm the people's house and working | | | | to wait quite some time in the extreme whether |
| place. While in the south part of the country, | | | | and pray for the spring to come early. |
| winter is rather short, mainly began at the | | | | |