Beijingers take to the internet to vent as the city is once again hit by hazardous levels of air pollution

As air pollution levels soared once again in Beijing and other parts of northern China last week to lung-choking levels, some residents vented their frustration through humour.

On social media outlets some Beijing residents made jokes about the lack of visibility as a thick layer of smog blanketed the city. “I think I am blind once I pull back the curtain,” joked a user on the Weibo microblogging website.

“I think I am blind once I pull back the curtain,” joked a user on the Weibo microblogging website. Photograph: Sina Weibo

Another said it was like flying an airplane instead of his electric scooter “because I have clouds on my two sides”. Some also posted pictures to illustrate their jokes.

“Clouds” on either side, joked a Weibo user about the pollution. Photograph: Sina Weibo

Such posts have become very popular on Weibo and also the messaging app wechat as Beijing citizens attempt to make light of the serious pollution problem. The Chinese capital has been suffering from high levels of air pollution for a number of years. Last year Beijing suffered from 60 days of pollution above emergency levels. Other cities fared even worse, the city of Xingtai south west of Beijing had 129 days of unhealthy air or worse.

Levels of pollution in Beijing reached 379 on the Air Quality Index on Friday which is considered “hazardous”. The city’s authorities issued an orange pollution alert, the second highest, around noon. They urged people to stay indoors and to wear masks if they had to go out. Some factories in the Beijing area were closed and others ordered to cut emissions while all construction work was suspected.

Caixin media on Friday criticised the Beijing government for not issuing a red alert, the highest alert for the worst air quality. Web users were also critical of the high levels of pollition.

Environmental authorities in the adjacent Henan province blamed straw-burning by farmers for the pollution. Chinese netizens had a lot to say about these claims too with critical comments on the Sina news website. One said that China has a five thousand year old civilisation and has been burning straw for such a long time and asks was the smog in ancient times heavier than now.

Another said the city’s cars “should be blamed” and that industrial pollution is the “main reason”. They also criticised the Ministry of the Environment’s efforts to curb pollution “even a blow of wind is more efficient than the ministry in solving the smog problem”.

The more serious side of the high pollution was also reflected on social media with some users comments being reported by state media. Dou Chen, a Beijing resident was quoted by Chinese state news agency Xinhua as saying that after returning to China from the UK earlier this year, she has suffered from a rash and a blood test showed that she is allergic to “substances in the air”. She said her symptoms have gotten worse in the past two days while the pollution has been at high levels.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian football team also complained about the pollution during training sessions in Beijing ahead of their game against Argentina as part of the Americas’ Super Derby-Doctor Nicolás Leoz Cup.



The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported that the team’s training was stopped at least three times on Thursday because the players felt too uncomfortable to continue. Brazil’s Robinho was quoted as saying that he found it difficult to breath and his throat felt like it was burning as if he had inhaled smoke.