As the summer heat waves swept across the country, the high-altitude Sky Garden scenic area of Fenghuang Mountain in Harbin, in Heilongjiang province, were blanketed in vast quantities of snow on May 21, turning the area into an icy wonderland. 

The snow in the Sky Garden parking lot reached 10 centimeters, and the snow cover at the peak of the mountain was more than 15 cm. Locals said it was expected that the snowfall would last for three to five days.

Lower down, meanwhile, the Grand Valley scenic area neighboring the Sky Garden was covered with colorful blooming azaleas.

“It is very rare to see snow in late May, and to admire the natural landscapes of summer and winter at the same time”, said a worker at the Fenghuang Mountain scenic area.

Fenghuang Mountain in Harbin covers an area of 50,000 hectares and has 89 peaks with a height of more than 1,000 meters above sea level, including its main peak, which is 1,690 m high — the highest peak in Heilongjiang province. 

Bathed in the warm and humid airflows from Japan and the cold air from Lake Baikal, Fenghuang Mountain has a unique mountain microclimate, where the temperature is 6 to 8 degrees lower all year round than that of Harbin’s urban area.

Flowers bloom amid the snow at the Sky Garden scenic area of Fenghuang Mountain, Harbin, in Heilongjiang province, on May 21. [Photo/people.cn]

A yellow flower blooms amid the icy blanket of snow at the Sky Garden scenic area of Fenghuang Mountain, Harbin, in Heilongjiang province, on May 21. [Photo/people.cn]

A car makes its way carefully on the snow-covered road to the Sky Garden scenic area of Fenghuang Mountain, Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on May 21. [Photo/people.cn]

Staff members from Fenghuang Mountain scenic area clear away snow on road on May 21. [Photo/people.cn]