Video

Incredible Video Shows Smog Blanketing Beijing [VIDEO]

REUTERS/Jason Lee

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Ryan Pickrell China/Asia Pacific Reporter
Font Size:

A shocking time-lapse video shows a dense and disconcerting wave of smog descending on Beijing, China’s capital city.

China declared a “red alert” for air pollution in mid-December for Beijing and 21 other cities. Cars were pulled off the road, schools were closed, and residents were instructed to stay indoors.

Beijing has continued to face daunting pollution problems. The video taken by Chas Pope, a British engineering consultant, shows the severity of the present situation.

WATCH:

Towering skyscrapers, roads, and cars disappear as smog blankets the city.

China declared a “war on pollution” in 2014, but while China has been working to reduce pollution, it has struggled to achieve the desired results and lower the impact of the heavy industries that facilitated China’s meteoric rise.

Pope revealed that the smog depicted in the video from Jan. 2 covered the city in a period of only 20 minutes.

On Tuesday, Beijing was placed on an “orange alert.” Hundreds of flights were cancelled, and many highways were closed. The smog is expected to remain in the city until the arrival of a cold front this weekend.

The ongoing situation in Beijing is sometimes referred to as an “airpocalypse” by observers.

Follow Ryan on Twitter

Send tips to ryan@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.