Chongqing at dusk: Chongqing, the economic hub of western China is set on the Yangtze River. It is the fastest growing municipality in the world with 31 million residents and a metropolitan area that is estimated to double from 10 million to 20 million by 2020. However, fast economic growth has come at the expense of the environment as water and air pollution choke the city.
Hong Kong under cover: There are literally weeks of the year where the famous Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong is shrouded in smog. Air pollution wafting from nearby Guangdong province is partly to blame but Hong Kong is increasingly adding to its own problems with infrastructure projects aimed towards increased car use as well as local coal burning electricity generation plants.
Another great white elephant: This flyover is part of a road system in in Zhengdong, a newly built community in Zhengzhou, Henan province and is virtually unused due to poor planning and corrupt business and government deals. It is similar to many of the "white elephant infrastructure projects" that are typical in the provinces of China.
All alone on the Great Wall: Most tourists visit a part of the Great Wall that was built just for them; the wall was repaired or reconstructed, shops, museums and other tourist infrastructure were built and the wall takes on a carnival atmosphere. To get an authentic experience on the Great Wall, head out to one of the non-official parts of the Great Wall, such as Huang Hua in Huairou county, about 2 hours outside of Beijing. There you won't have hawkers trying to sell you useless trinkets and you will be able to take in a wonderful view in silence.
Click on the thumbnails below for a larger view:
{gallery}MaskofChina{/gallery}