TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Crowds flocked to Taipei's Yangmingshan National Park to chase snow on Saturday (Jan. 9) after the city lifted the traffic control that had been in place at park entrances since the previous day.

The national park's Qixing Mountain, Mt. Datun, Mt. Miantian, Mt. Xiangtian, and Erziping received their first snow of the year on Friday (Jan. 8). Traffic control was enforced Friday to prevent traffic jams, and cars were required to have snow chains on their tires.

The capital’s Department of Transportation ended snow-related controls at around 10 a.m. on Saturday, as no further snowfall or sleet had been observed around Yangmingshan, according to CNA. Police said roads in the area had been cleared of ice.

Many visitors were seen playing in the snow, such as making snowmen and throwing snowballs at each other, on the road connecting the Erziping parking lot and the summit of Datun's main peak. Packs of hikers were also seen on nearby mountain trails.

Snow at lower elevations began to melt that afternoon.

(Taiwan News, George Liao photos)