A Chinese idiom wishes for "calm breeze and smooth seas," but millions of Beijingers are hoping for a strong gust to disperse the smog.
Like many living in Beijing, 28-year-old Song Yu has developed a habit of checking her smartphone air quality app first thing every morning.
"The reading helps me decide whether I should open the window or wear a mask to go to work," said Song, who works for an accounting firm in Beijing.
The weather was seldom a topic of discussion among her coworkers several years ago. "Now, it has become routine for colleagues to discuss when the smog will disperse and how soon it will stage a comeback," Song said, adding that she and her coworkers are worried about more red alerts for air quality, since the city's weather observatory has issued two in December alone.
The Beijing municipal government introduced a four-tier color-coded air pollution warning system in October 2013, the same year smog became a topic of everyday conversation for ordinary Chinese.
Under the warning system, red represents the most severe air pollution, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
During a red alert, only half the city's cars are allowed on roads, while enterprises and public institutions adopt flexible working hours and large outdoor activities and construction work are suspended.
Once a red alert is issued, kindergartens, middle and primary schools may also cancel classes. Key polluting industries should cut production as operations to clear the air are conducted in the city's downtown areas.
In Tianjin, which neighbors Beijing, weather forecasters have warned of six and a half days of smog this week.
SMOG GENERATION?
As a result, wearing a mask is no longer strange.
"We have no choice," said Song. "It's really funny to see colleagues greet each other in the lobby of the office building mask to mask," she said.
Frequent air pollution has made anti-smog masks a trendy gift among Chinese during the holiday season. On Chinese e-commerce marketplace Taobao, masks were one of the top searches just three days ahead of Christmas, together with flowers and scarves.
While many people just hope the masks will protect them from the toxic micro particles that often engulf north China, Lisa Wu has more to worry about: her son.
