China - Bad air days in Beijing

Famous Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu introduced the well-known saying "qiu gao qi shuang" in one of his 8th-century works, searing into the Chinese people expectations that autumn months would have the crisp air and clear skies he described.

But modern-day Beijing is proving him wrong.

The Chinese capital has been wrapped in a blanket of smog this autumn, with air quality plunging to one of its worst levels since the Olympics three years ago.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) climbed into hazardous territory, reaching 425 on Sunday, according to a meteorological service by the United States embassy here. The AQI is similar to the Pollutants Standard Index used in Singapore, and a reading of zero is the best, while 500 is the most hazardous.

More than 200 flights were cancelled and six highways were closed after visibility dropped below 100m in some parts of the city, according to local media reports.

"It has been a rotten October, even breathing is difficult," said businesswoman Qiu Ping, 36, who runs a clothing shop. A combination of weather conditions, traffic and coal-burning power stations is responsible for the capital's atrocious pollution.

High-polluting coal-fired boilers and stoves remain the main culprits as Beijing's energy consumption increases, even as the government pledged to improve air conditions by replacing them with clean energy equipment.

The pollution is expected to worsen when northern China switches on its annual coal-fuelled winter heating supply in two weeks' time.

It had been exacerbated by northern China's traditional customs such as the "Winter Clothes Festival", or han yi jie, last week, when joss paper was burnt at street corners across Beijing so that the spirit of the deceased can buy warm clothing in the afterlife.

The smog hit its highest level on Oct 9, when the reading reached the maximum 500 for a couple of hours, about 20 times higher than the safe standards issued by the World Health Organisation.

The US embassy described it as "beyond index" - Singapore's worst record was 226 in 1997-1998 - disseminating the information through Twitter, a service relied on by many Beijing expatriates and some local residents.

When such noxious fumes covered the city last November, the automated index called it "crazy bad", a term which American diplomats quickly deleted for fear of offending the Chinese government.

That is partly because the authorities here have a different measurement of pollution and have often said that Beijing's air quality has improved in recent years.

On the day that the AQI hit 500, local meteorological reports said that there was only "slight pollution" in most parts of the capital.

But anecdotal accounts do not support the Chinese weathermen's reading.

Cyclist Michael Barry, who competed in the inaugural Tour of Beijing early last month, wrote in the Velo News: "The effects of the poor air quality were evident at the finish. With our bags piled on the curb, the team staff wiped down the thick grime on our faces and legs, as journalists asked questions and fans reached for used water bottles.

"We coughed up thick dirty phlegm, our eyes were bloodshot and each rider complained of a burning in his chest. The thick smog affected us all. The locals knew better. While on their bikes, they wore dust masks."

Even the ever-creative property agents here are banking on clean air for sales. An SMS received over the weekend touted a condominium in the northern part of the city as a place of 'oxygenated life': "Is there still a place in Beijing where you can breathe fresh air? Yes, it's at the Olympic Forest Park."

Most Beijing residents chose to stay indoors. Said doctor Qi Yong: "Other than going to work, I try as much as possible not to go out. I have not been able to do any outdoor exercises too. In such weather, exercising may do you more harm than good."

Office executive Zhang Hui added: "I used to love autumn, but this is so disappointing. Where are the crisp air and clear skies? The sky has hardly been blue. It has been a most depressing autumn."

Peh Shing Huei

The Straits Times

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