It took six hours for Liu Yi, 26, to get to Tianshui, Northwest China's Gansu province, by train. It took another two hours of waiting in a queue before he could finally get his hands on a bowl of local malatang — a mix of foods boiled in hot, spicy broth.
The day of Longtaitou, which literally means "dragon raises its head," falls on the second day of the second lunar month. This year it falls on March 11.
Recently, in the Yanchiwan National Nature Reserve in Subei county, Jiuquan, Gansu province, groups of "plateau elves" argali sheep have been seen running freely at the golden grass beaches surrounded by white snow, adding vitality to the land.
Sun Guangzheng had previously driven through Guazhou county, Gansu province, without giving it a second glance.
However, a sudden snowstorm last month changed his perception of the area.