Snow business: China villagers make, sell mini snowmen as car decorations for US$2.8 each to capitalise on rare wintry weather
- Unusually heavy snow excites locals who make tiny snowmen for sale
- Weather attracts many visitors who buy snowmen to display on cars
Villagers in China have grasped a business opportunity thanks to the unpredictable weather, delighting mainland internet users.
On January 22, residents of Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province in southwestern China were excited when it snowed heavily, a rarity in the region.
Locals near the rural area of Longquan Mountain decided to make cute little snowmen and sell them for 20 yuan (US$2.8) each.
As soon as they started selling them on the streets, business boomed, according to news outlet thecover.cn.
People drove up to 30km from downtown Chengdu to enjoy the dramatic snowy scenery. Before returning home, many bought snowmen and placed them on the bonnets of their cars, a viral video showed.
“There seemed to be a snowman on every car. Some drivers drove slowly so they would not slide off the bonnet,” one male pedestrian said.
“The snowman is cute. What’s more, rare things are valuable. We rarely see snow,” a female resident said.
“I’ve never seen snowmen sold on the street. It’s fun. These snowmen are so adorable, I’d like to buy one and put it on my desk at home,” another local woman said.
The video also showed a cyclist who had put a snowman on the back of his bike.
Snow-related businesses are popular among people from the southern part of the country where it does not snow every year.
Some residents in northeastern China, the coldest part of the country where the temperature can drop to minus 20 degrees in winter, offer an unusual service.
They draw a heart in a snowfield and write the names of loving couples inside, then send a photo to them for 10-20 yuan (US$1.4-$2.8).
In recent weeks, some live-streamers on mainland social media platforms filmed themselves grabbing handfuls of snow and eating it, while others put snow in a bowl and added jam or drinks.
