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Snow-hit China welcomes New Year Snow-hit China welcomes New Year
(about 10 hours later)
China has begun celebrating the week-long Lunar New Year festival, which has been overshadowed by the worst snowstorms in decades. China is celebrating Lunar New Year, a festival which has been overshadowed by the worst snowstorms in decades.
Millions of migrant workers will be unable to visit their families because of gridlocked transport. Across the country, people gathered and set off fireworks to welcome the Year of the Rat.
But the authorities say trains and roads are returning to normal and power supplies are being restored. But millions of migrant workers are spending the holiday season away from their families because of gridlocked transport networks.
The China Meteorological Administration has lifted a severe weather emergency alert issued on 25 January. Power lines downed by the snow are being repaired, but millions of people remain without electricity and water.
Power lines On Wednesday, which was New Year's Eve, top leaders visited some of the areas hardest hit by the severe weather in an attempt to boost morale.
More than 3,000 electricians and troops have been out repairing power lines in Chenzhou city in central Hunan province, where four million residents were without electricity for nearly two weeks. Parts of China have seen the heaviest snow in 50 years
Power has now been restored to 162 of the 170 worst hit counties, according to the official Xinhua news agency. President Hu Jintao visited Guangxi in the south, while Premier Wen Jiabao met residents in Jiangxi province's Fuzhou City, where power has been out for 20 days.
class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7229443.stm">Workers hurry to deliver coal "We lost much in the weather disaster... but we also got many things, such as courage, will and the ability to overcome difficulties," the official Xinhua news agency quoted Mr Wen as saying.
The agency said the air force transported 100 tonnes of candles to several cities in the south where people were still suffering from electricity cuts. "Amid the disaster, relations between officials and the masses strengthened and people became more united," he said.
Officials have been working to bring in coal deliveries. Break in weather
With the transport gridlock now easing, many stranded migrant workers are on their way home, according to state media. Snow has been falling across central and southern regions since early January, destroying houses and crop land, downing power lines and blocking road and rail links.
However, millions more have given up on the idea of travelling. class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7229443.stm">Workers hurry to deliver coal class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7230149.stm">Farmers count cost of snow
In southern Guangdong province alone, more than 22 million workers have been forced to stay in cities for the holiday. The bad weather has now let up, with China's Meteorological Administration on Wednesday lifting a severe weather alert issued on 25 January.
Strong tradition But the break in the weather came too late for millions of migrant workers who were unable to return home to their families for the festive season.
More than 100,000 migrant employees in Shanghai obeyed calls to stay where they were. In the run-up to the holiday, enormous crowds built up at railway stations as trains ground to a halt, while several key highways were also blocked.
BBC China editor Shirong Chen says the Chinese New Year is a tradition older and perhaps even stronger than Thanksgiving in the US. Transport is now returning to normal but millions of people had to abandon plans to travel.
It is the only chance for many migrant workers to visit family, including elderly parents and young children left behind for the whole year, he says. BBC China editor Shirong Chen says the Chinese New Year holiday is the only chance many migrant workers get in the whole year to visit family, including elderly parents and young children left behind.
Power problems were being tackled, with electricity restored in 162 of 170 worst-hit counties, Xinhua said.
But problems remain in many areas including Chenzhou, a city of four million people that has been without electricity for nearly two weeks.
More than 3,000 troops and engineers were working to repair 1,000 pylons toppled by the snow, Xinhua said, while the air force transported 100 tonnes of candles to several cities in the south where people were still suffering from black-outs.
The weather is believed to have affected more than 100 million people and has so far caused 80bn yuan ($11bn) of damage.The weather is believed to have affected more than 100 million people and has so far caused 80bn yuan ($11bn) of damage.
More than 80 people are thought to have been killed, several hundred thousand homes were destroyed and vast swathes of crops damaged. More than 80 people are thought to have been killed, while experts have warned that damage to crops could lead to future food shortages.
President Hu Jintao has sought to boost morale.
"No disaster could vanquish the great Chinese people, " he said.