China getting back on its feet as weather improves The thunder of firecrackers ushered in the Year of the Rat on Thursday, but millions of Chinese were spending a cold holiday as repair teams battled to restore power knocked out by the worst snow storms in a century. China says power being restored for millions Power supplies knocked out by fierce winter weather were being restored for millions of Chinese at the start of the Lunar New Year holiday on Wednesday, state media said, but residents in one city were skeptical.