Air pollution in China is so bad that the only way to see the sun is via a billboard
The screens are usually used to promote tourist destinations, but have been re-tasked because of pollution levels more than 25 times higher than what the World Health Organisation (WHO) judges as safe.
The screens also carry slogans saying "protecting atmospheric environment is everyone's responsibility".
The US embassy in Beijing, which regularly measures air pollution in the city, said that conditions on Friday were “very unhealthy”, which might cause “significant aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in persons with cardiopulmonary disease and the elderly”.
On Thursday, the embassy found that pollution levels had reached “hazardous” conditions in which “everyone should avoid all physical activity outdoors”.
Air pollution is often worst in winter due to an increase of coal burning.
On Thursday, Beijing mayor, Wang Anshun, announced measures to diminish coal use by 2.6 million tonnes and ban vehicles which pollute heavily. He pledged 15 billion Yuan (about £1.5 billion) to improve air quality and said that the city would research new technology to reduce pollution.
Zhang Dawei, the director of Beijing’s Municipal Environment Monitoring Centre, told the Xinhua news agency that despite efforts to clear up the air in 2013, the city still experienced 58 days of serious pollution – about one every week.
Four highways connecting Beijing to other cities were temporarily closed on Thursday because of the thick smog.
On Wednesday, Shanghai adopted emergency measures allowing the city to close schools and ban the use of vehicles in times of heavy pollution.
In October, Beijing’s government announced that emergency measures such as factory shutdowns and limits on traffic would come into effect when air pollution reaches hazard levels.
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