March 20, 2013, 12:04 p.m.
Tourists stroll around the grounds of the Imperial Ancestral Temple on March 20, the first official day of spring, as fresh snow clings to tree branches following overnight snowfall in Beijing, China.
In addition to dumping nearly half a foot of snow across the city, the spring snowfall dispersed much of the city's infamous air pollution, prompting a sigh of relief from residents who spent the entire winter breathing in hazardous levels of smog caused by climate patterns and an increased demand for coal power.
Beijing residents walk past a dozen parked bicycles covered in snow on March 20 following an overnight snowfall.
Tourists navigate shoveled pathways on March 20 while visiting the Imperial Ancestral Temple in Beijing.
A young girl wearing a bright pink coat sits patiently on the rear rack of a bicycle on March 20 as her father transports her to school along Beijing's snowy streets.
A bundled up little boy walks alongside his mother at the Imperial Ancestral Temple on March 20 in Beijing.
A puffed up flock of birds perch on snow-covered tree branches on March 20 in one of Beijing's city parks.