Taihuai town in snow, the center of Mount Wutai [Photo / chinanews.com]

To prevent fires this New Year on Mount Wutai, Shanxi province, in the surrounding forests and ancient structures, the local meteorology dept carried out an artificial snow operation on the first day of the lunar New Year.

The mountain already had 42,000 visitors, by Feb 22, during the Spring Festival, despite the mountain being covered in 16-centimeters of snow, largely influencing nearby transportation.

Traffic police, the transportation dept, environmental sanitation and emergency office in the mountain carried out a contingency plan, and a team was on duty at each site of the tourist spots.

A number of snow blowers were at work on the roads to ensure a safe pass into and out of the mountain. Most of the highways were shut down in Shanxi province by then, but the Xinzhou to Fuping (county) Highway (Shanxi to Hebei province) passing Mount Wutai was clear.

Fireworks are forbidden in the mountain to prevent fires and bring a tranquil atmosphere to the tourists during the Spring Festival.

One visitor from Fujian province, a Ms Wu, said she and her family had a peaceful Lunar New Year and a wonderful experience with Buddhist cuisine and traditions.