Our journey took us to the heart of environmental degradation in Linfen, a notorious coal-mining city in China’s Shanxi Province, notorious for its staggeringly poor air quality. There, amidst the haze, we observed children whose playgrounds were the banks of pollution-tainted rivers, while a sun prematurely dimmed by the dense smog struggled to penetrate the polluted skies. Continue this gripping story by watching part 2 at [http://bit.ly/Toxic-China-2]. For more insightful content, delve into “Toxic: America’s Water Crisis” available at [http://bit.ly/Water-Crisis-1]. Explore some of the most compelling stories we’ve documented.
The skyscrapers in the cityscape are partially obscured by a heavy layer of pollution, rendering the buildings’ top floors nearly invisible. Smokestacks are seen emitting plumes of smoke that contribute to the dense smothering smog, while a watermark with the logo “VICE” prominently occupies the lower right corner of the image.