Heavy smog hits China as pollution crisis continues
China continues to suffer a pollution crisis, with Beijing shrouded in acrid smog. Authorities have introduced anti-pollution policies and often pledged to clean up the environment but the problem has not eased. In October 2013, clouds of smog blanketed Harbin in China’s Heilongjiang province. According to reports, visibility was cut to 33 feet.
- A woman wearing a mask rides an electric bicycle along a street on a hazy afternoon in Beijing on February 24, 2014. (REUTERS/Petar Kujundzic)
- A resident walks along a street on the banks of the Songhua River near a highway bridge on a hazy day in Jilin, Jilin province on February 25, 2014. (REUTERS photo)
- People wearing masks walk past a statue of late Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong in Beijing on February 26, 2014. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)
- Buildings are seen shrouded in heavy haze at Qingdao development zone, Shandong province, on February 25, 2014. (Reuters photo)
- Cars travel on an overpass amid thick haze in the morning in Beijing on February 26, 2014. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)
- A combination picture shows Beijing’s hazy sky (left) on February 24, 2014 and clear sky on February 27, 2014, from the top of Jingshan Park near the Forbidden City. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)
- Cars drive on an overhead road amid the heavy haze in Beijing on February 21, 2014. (REUTERS/Jason Lee)
- An overpass is crowded with cars amid the heavy haze in Beijing on February 23, 2014. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)
- Cars travel on a road amid heavy haze in Beijing on February 21, 2014. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)
- People wearing masks wait for a taxi amid the heavy haze in Beijing on February 22, 2014. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)
- People walk on a bridge during a smoggy day in Jilin. (Reuters photo)
- A traffic policeman signals to drivers during a smoggy day in Harbin. The second day of heavy smog with a PM 2.5 index forced the closure of schools and highways, exceeding 500 micrograms per cubic meter Monday morning in downtown Harbin, according to Xinhua News Agency. (Reuters photo)
- A woman wearing a face mask walks in heavy smog in Harbin, located in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province. (AFP/Getty photo)
- Motorists and pedestrians commute during a period of heavy smog in Harbin, located in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province. (AFP/Getty photo)
- A man wearing a mask walks in heavy smog in Harbin, located in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province. (AFP/Getty photo)
- A woman covers her mouth with her scarf in the smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- Local residents travel on a tricycle in the smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- A woman walks in the smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- A woman wearing a mask covers her mouth with her hands as she walks in the smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- A girl cycles on a street under heavy smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- A man cycles in the smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- A man pushes his bike onto a bridge under heavy smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- A policeman gestures as he works on a street in heavy smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- A woman wearing a mask uses her mobile phone in the smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- A man pushes his bike onto a bridge under heavy smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- Residents with masks on their faces are seen under heavy smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- A man stands next to an airplane under heavy smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- Local residents dance on a square under heavy smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- Local residents dance on a square under heavy smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- Streets and cars are seen under heavy smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- Streets and cars are seen under heavy smog in Harbin. (AFP/Getty Images)
- A combination picture shows the 75-story landmark skyscraper of Shenyang in Liaoning province, taken on Oct. 11, 2013 (bottom) and Oct. 21, 2013. (Reuters photo)
- People walk through a square during a smoggy day in Jilin. (Reuters photo)
- A woman wearing a mask checks her mobile phone during a smoggy day on the square in front of Harbin’s landmark church. (Reuters photo)
- A statue of China’s late Chairman Mao Zedong is seen on a smoggy day in Shenyang, located in the Liaoning province. (Reuters photo)