The spread of suffocating smog to more Chinese cities this winter came as another warning for the country to intensify its campaign against environmental damage caused by three decades of rapid growth.
Experts say "human-centered" urbanization, a topic raised at a recently concluded conference of China's leaders, may help bring a breath of fresh air to the smog-smothered nation.
A smog-bothered Chinese school has turned to the country's traditional kung fu for self-defense against polluted air, although the method's effect has been widely doubted.
Experts have warned that China's frequent smog may deter overseas Chinese from returning, as the start of the heating season in the north of the country risks worsening the problem.
Beijingers on Wednesday saw their first sunshine in seven days, with a cold front dispersing the lingering smog in the city. But while blue skies have returned, the capital's air pollution remains heavy on Wednesday, with PM 2.5 readings still at levels deemed "very unhealthy" by the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
Beijing continued to issue the highest alert for smog on Monday, as the city's air quality hovered at levels deemed "fatal" to breathe by the World Health Organization, with PMI readings forty times above safe levels...Undermine government ambitions to make China a beautiful country for residents.