Winter has come: Ice seen traveling on Yellow River

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People living along the Yellow River in northern China now have a visual sense of the season turning to winter.

Hundreds of ice pieces have been spotted on the river's Inner Mongolia section.

Named "ling" by the locals, the ice is not only a signal of winter, but regarded as a troublemaker.

As the weather in northern China gets colder, the size of the ice will grow significantly, ending up stacked at some narrow parts of the waterway.

The ice will act as a dam and cause the river to rise, leading to potential flooding of populated areas.

This year, the ling came two weeks later than average making it the latest in recorded history.

Snow seekers

The snowscape in Mohe has attracted lots of visitors from the south of China. /VCG Photo

Because of China's vast size, while northerners are bathing in snow, southerners may still be wearing shorts.

Far southern places like Guangzhou may see snow once in decades (though the flakes would disappear before touchdown).

According to China Central Television, the northernmost city in China, Mohe, is attracting lots of southern tourists as it does every year.

"It's minus 33 degrees (Celsius) now. I'm feeling great," tourist Yuan Zhaojin told reporter on Tuesday.

"I travel here to experience freezing cold. See, my eyebrows and hair are frozen," she added.

The lowest temperature in Mohe dropped 20 degrees on Tuesday, hitting a negative 40 degree Celsius.

Natural travel ban

Flights were canceled at the airport in Urumqi due to heavy snow. /VCG Photo

Not every snow seeker is as lucky as Yuan.

If you chose Xinjiang's Urumqi to be your destination, chances are your flight would be canceled.

Due to heavy snowfall, the airport in Urumqi was under an emergency. A total of 99 flghts both inbound and outbound were canceled and 5,703 tourists were grounded in the city.

Normally in northern China, the weather will keep getting colder until mid-February when the frozen river surface begins to melt.

(Top image: Ice pieces flowing on the river in Mohe, China's north-most city /VCG Photo)