Major Snow, the 21st solar term in the Chinese lunar calendar, arrives today and will end on December 20 this year. As is traditional, this period may bring a picturesque blanket of snow to Beijing, coating the hutongs and the grand Forbidden City, along with the Great Wall.

The enchanting scenery extends to frozen river surfaces and tree branches, all cloaked in winter's embrace. Here are photographs capturing Beijing's serene snowscapes from past years.

(Photo via VCG, Chen Siyang)