Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/the-smog-in-this-giant-chinese-city-is-so-bad-it-shut-everything-down Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The smog in this giant Chinese city is so bad, it shut everything down World Oct 21, 2013 12:40 PM EDT A man stands next to an airplane amid heavy smog in Harbin, the capital of China’s northeast Heilongjiang province. Photo by AFP/Getty Images Heavy smog blanketed the China’s northern city of Harbin on Monday with air pollution measuring 40 times higher than the international safety standard, the Associated Press reports. Home to 11 million people, Harbin suspended classes for primary and middle schools, and closed several bus routes and the Taiping International Airport. Xinhua, the state-run news agency, reported that visibility was reduced to less than 50 meters and that the smog’s expected to continue for the next 24 hours. A women wears a mask as she walks through the smog in Harbin. Reports of the air pollution has reduced visibility to as low as 10 meters. Photo by AFP/Getty Images A workman carries a road barrier on a street under heavy fog in Harbin. Photo by AFP/Getty Images Local residents dance in a square under the heavy smog in Harbin. Photo by AFP/Getty Images Join us tonight on the PBS NewsHour where we’ll report on the air pollution crisis in China. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now
A man stands next to an airplane amid heavy smog in Harbin, the capital of China’s northeast Heilongjiang province. Photo by AFP/Getty Images Heavy smog blanketed the China’s northern city of Harbin on Monday with air pollution measuring 40 times higher than the international safety standard, the Associated Press reports. Home to 11 million people, Harbin suspended classes for primary and middle schools, and closed several bus routes and the Taiping International Airport. Xinhua, the state-run news agency, reported that visibility was reduced to less than 50 meters and that the smog’s expected to continue for the next 24 hours. A women wears a mask as she walks through the smog in Harbin. Reports of the air pollution has reduced visibility to as low as 10 meters. Photo by AFP/Getty Images A workman carries a road barrier on a street under heavy fog in Harbin. Photo by AFP/Getty Images Local residents dance in a square under the heavy smog in Harbin. Photo by AFP/Getty Images Join us tonight on the PBS NewsHour where we’ll report on the air pollution crisis in China. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now