Beijing: The Smog
Here’s a little something I whipped up: a comparison between the postcards I bought in Beijing and the actual photos I took at each landmark.
True, I was only in Beijing for three days, but I saw enough to know that the sky is never as blue that low on the horizon as the postcard images show. On what I can assume were “blue sky” days while I was there, the horizon gradiated from slate-grey above the skyline to a dull blue directly overhead.
Unless the postcard images were taken during the dynasty in which each landmark was constructed, each photo must have been given a facelift in Photoshop.
Well, it seems the air pollution is really severe in Beijing… It sacrifices to the economic development…
↓ Quote | Posted September 27, 2006, 9:32 pmThe postcard pics you posted look drawn (Forbidden City) or heavily photoshopped.
Believe it or not Beijing isn’t always smoggy. I was just there about a year and a half ago.
Temple of Heaven with a nice, blue sky:
http://xiaoniu.org/view.php?gid=1&phid=224
Forbidden City:
http://xiaoniu.org/view.php?gid=1&phid=244
Summer Palace:
http://xiaoniu.org/view.php?gid=1&phid=266
Xi’an on the other hand is always heavily polluted:
↓ Quote | Posted September 28, 2006, 8:43 pmhttp://xiaoniu.org/view.php?gid=1&phid=15
Well, what do you know…it can be fairly nice in Beijing. Perhaps I’ll work those pics of yours into the comparison as well, if that’s alright.
↓ Quote | Posted September 29, 2006, 4:19 amGo for it. This leaves me wondering if I was exceptionally lucky to have blue skies or if you were unlucky. Oh well.
↓ Quote | Posted September 29, 2006, 10:41 amI was wondering about that as well. I’m not sure if I’ve even seen Hangzhou that nice yet.
↓ Quote | Posted September 29, 2006, 10:47 pm