Soot Effluence, Beijing.

Wouldn't you think, no matter how bad pollution might be in other parts of China, in Beijing, at the center of everything, the Center would do whatever it took to have the air cleaned?  For example, during the Great Leap, 40,000,000 died but Beijingers hardly noticed. The Center made sure that Beijingers--like themselves--were adequately fed. China is so image-conscious and this is the capital, with all the world's press and embassies. It's embarrassing and Zhongnanhai doesn't do embarrassing very well.