Air Quality in Jinan - A Photo Story

I had the good fortune to live in Jinan, which is the capital of Shandong Province in China.  Jinan is known as the City of Springs, because of its many freshwater springs as I recently discussed in a previous blog post here.  I learned quickly that the people who reside in Jinan are very friendly and very giving.  I was simply amazed by the hospitality and the kindness shown to me on any given day while I was out and about in the city.  Sure, there were the grumpy sour pusses, but they were few and far between.  

Unfortunately, my stay in Jinan was drastically cut short due to a medical emergency.  To make a long story bearable, or at least palatable, it was necessary for me to undergo emergency surgery in South Korea while I was vacationing in that country that I called home for many years.

I wasn't able to take many photographs during my too brief stay in China.  Some of the photos I did take showed the air quality in Jinan during the day.  Jinan has many industries, and the waste products released into the air heavily pollutes the air.  Even during a sunny day, the sky is ash gray.  Only occasionally did the sun shine through the pollution, and even then it was a dim orb that resembled a weak light bulb.  There was a distinct taste to the air also.  Prior to arriving in Jinan, I purchased a box of 3M 8210 Particulate Respirator masks, otherwise known as N95 masks, in anticipation of having to breathe the air while out in public.

I could gauge the quality of the air at any given time by visiting the Air Quality Index website that provides information about the air quality as well as the weather.  In fact, the site can provide the real time air quality index, or AQI, for just about any city.  To view the AQI of Jinan, click on the link here.  What is the AQI of your favorite city?

Photographing Jinan to specifically show the air quality was interesting for me.  But it was shocking to me, also.  Not too far from my home, there was a park that sits atop a mountain that allowed me to view my part of the city.  Up to a point.  As can be seen, visibility was greatly reduced because of the air pollution.

My Neighborhood

© Mark Eaton

A Sunny Day

© Mark Eaton

I didn't have to walk too far around my neighborhood to find some sort of industrial plant.

Progress

© Mark Eaton

While taking a long view of the canal in Jinan, it wasn't difficult to remember that quality of the air in the city.

Tour Boats

© Mark Eaton

Perhaps in the not too distant future I will be healthy enough to return to China.  There more pressing concern, however, is what those who are in power will do to try to restore China to its natural beauty.  Does the leadership have the will to make the changes necessary to substantially reduce pollution?  For the sake of the people who live there, I hope so.

To view more of my photographs of Jinan and the air quality of the city, please visit my website:  The Air We Breathe.

    

The Hammer Falls

I lived on the east side of Jinan, which is the capital city of Shandong Province in China, in an area that is experiencing a significant amount of construction.  Most obvious are the numerous apartment complexes towering towards the gray polluted sky.  

My Neighborhood

© Mark Eaton

While exploring my little part of the world in Jinan during the day, I often heard booms that echoed off the mountains that are found in the area.  I thought construction crews were blasting into the mountains as some of the newly finished apartment buildings clearly abut the mountainous boundaries.

Then one day I discovered the source of the booms.  A large crane raised a large and obviously heavy pile driver.  The Chinese version of a pile driver looks a bit different than those I've seen from the western world, but evidently no less effective.  

The pile driver is targeted over a specific spot.  With a metallic snap, the driver is released.  The object falls silently, but there is an impressive explosive sound as it slams its target further into the ground.  And the ground shakes.  The process is repeated time and time again.

The Hammer Falls

© Mark Eaton

When several cranes are in operation simultaneously, it sounds as if a giant is walking unsteadily across the land.

The Canal and the Springs in Jinan

The blast furnace known as Jinan, which is the capital of Shandong Province in China, has more than seventy springs.  Many of those springs feed the large canal that flows through the city.

Residents of Jinan often visit the springs at the canal to haul up freshwater from the springs.  The water then is poured into jugs and large water bottles.  

Bottles

© Mark Eaton

Fetching Spring Water

© Mark Eaton

The canal is lined by weeping willows, and it is large enough for boats to navigate.  A reader will note that the large view of the canal in Jinan shows the polluted air that casts an interesting light over the entire region of the province. 

Tour Boats

© Mark Eaton