thedingler

China sounds so interesting but I read it is hard to take a breath due to unbelievable smog. I am told that it burns your eyes and makes it nearly impossible to see past a mile. I was also told that people wear mask over their mouth so they can stand it.

Is the pursuit of prosperity making China a place where clean air and water an impossible dream? Tell us your smog stories in the major Cities in China.

rkkwan

Yes, it's sometimes impossible to see past a mile. Yes, you'll see plenty of people wearing masks, but many have done so in the major cities for years.

In my experience, and my family members' experiences, you don't feel it and they don't burn your eyes. You just see it, that's all. But after 7-10 days, then we will often start having coughs and respiratory problems.

As for your question about prosperity - history seems to suggest it's a phase in a country's modernization and industrialization. London's air was probably worse in the Victoria era. I can just hope that they went past this phase sooner. When the overall level of living standard goes up, people will start to care about the environment they live in. But I don't think it'll get better any time soon.

DonJ1973

I was in Beijing and Shanghai last August and honestly I had no trouble breathing or seeing things. Your statement about it burning your eyes is IMO a gross exaggeration.

I had a great time there and would totally recommend travelling there to everyone.

PegS

We were in Beijing last May and found the smog pretty bad. My sister said it was worse than Mexico City. Hong Kong isn't nearly as bad, and I haven't been to Shanghai. However, once you get out of the city (for instance, you'll probably go to the Great Wall when you're in Beijing) the air is fine. I've also heard that if you go in the fall the air quality is better.

poutine

I have only been to Beijing, and it was during the month of November. Some days were worse than others, but it was never "burn your eyes" bad! I saw a few people wearing masks, but they were a very small minority. You notice which days are worse than others in terms of how many blocks down the street you can see clearly. On the worst days, it was only two or three blocks.

Definitely won't stop me going back.

tweety817

I spent a week in Beijing in January. You could see the pollution but it didn't bother my breathing. The people wearing masks were protecting themselves against the flu.

Jeffrey

How many days did you each spend in Beijing? How long is a good time there, to really see the area?

valeriesgallery

Yes. The smog is that bad. I felt like I could breath slowly. Luckily, in my bad, unexpected but lucky, I happened to have liquid nyquil tablets, that ironically, I took each night. The first 2 days were the worst. Most people in China spit, for a reason, to rid themselves of the yuck they breathe. There is currently an advertising plug to try to get people to NOT spit, because of the foreigners from all over the world for the olympics. Also, I was told that people spit on the buses and subways, but I didn't see it. (some are thinking that might be how SARS is spread, by everyone spitting.

poutine

To really see Beijing, the Summer Palace and Great Wall, I would aim for 5 or 6 nights.

I wear contacts, and I did take them out every day in early evening. By that point they felt glued to my head. Just to say, my eyes bothered me more than any upper respiratory tract problems.

LostinChina

I'm concerned about the pollution too some of these posts make me more concerned...

I did hear that some people with asthma were sick the whole time they were in China.

pippy4tao

Yes, I hate to tell you this, but it is bad. At least if your used to living in a nice place with blue skies. The severity of it is different in different spots. For instance tibet is supposedly much cleaner. I lived in central china for 6 months and rarely saw blue skies. It was a shock when I first arrived in Shanghai to taste, smell and see the pollution. But it is definetly worth seeing China. If your really sensitive to it I suggest bringing a face mask which helps alot. In Xian, it was so thick that you couldn't even see in front of yourself during the nights. It was really bad there. But I loved Xian!!! ha ha.

Good Luck

Theresa

For more info check out my travel logs at

www.nomadwannabe.com

LostinChina

When you refer to face masks, are you referring to the ones you can buy at the local drug store, the blue ones that filter dust, bacteria, etc. I remember someone posted about an elaborate mask which had a carbon filter on it?

ekscrunchy

Isn't the smog/pollution much worse in Beijing in the spring when the sands blow in from the Gobi, or have I just been reading too many scare tales?

More important..what can a traveler do to prevent those bronchial infections? I am not sure I can see myself strolling around in a face mask...! I have an antibiotic to use in case I got some kind of bad infection/flu, but I would rather prevent this from happening....

scotchman9

I have made a number of trips to China. I have see days where you can not see 1 mile in Beijing, but I have also seen days with crystal clear blue skies.

The only time I've had problems was during an weather inversion in Xi'an, burning eyes and all. If you looked down the street you could see maybe 3 blocks, but if you looked straight up the sky was blue.

I have noticed what seems to be a major improvement in the Shanghai/Suzhou area over the past few years. An Australian environment consult that I talked to there indicated this was because they have switched a number of coal power plants to NG.

DonJ1973

I think if your young, healthy and don't have any breathing problems like asthma, this isn't even an issue. I've lived in Southeast Asia for 1 year (Bangkok, Thailand) and the pollution and smog there is 10 times worse than anything I saw in my 2 weeks in China last year.

easytraveler

If you click on "thedingler"'s name, you will see that he is in the habit of asking provocative questions. On other posts, he/she has been identified as a troll.

thedingler: I suggest you buy one of those World War I gas masks to wear in Beijing.