The aurora lights up the sky in the Greater Hinggan Mountains in Heilongjiang Province on December 1, 2023. /CFP

The skies in many places in the northern regions of China were illuminated by the aurora borealis on December 1.

People in Mohe, the northernmost Chinese city, and many other places in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, witnessed the colorful lights.

The magnificent phenomenon was even spotted on the outskirts of Beijing. This was only the second time that images of the aurora have been captured in the history of the Chinese capital, which is located at 40 degrees north latitude, according to media reports.

According to the China Meteorological Administration, the appearance of the aurora on this occasion was due to geomagnetic storm activity.