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China has some stunningly beautiful natural landscapes, but they may not count for much when, in other parts of the country, pollution runs totally unchecked. These shocking photos show what severe pollution people have to deal with in some parts of China.

Beijing and other parts of China have already become notorious for their incessant clouds of smog, which present very real health risks to anyone not wearing dust masks. Unregulated dumping in various rivers throughout China is fairly common, as many of the photos in this series help illustrate.

Chinese leaders have vowed to get serious on air pollution, but change will be difficult in a country whose industry has expanded so rapidly. If you have any photos illustrating these difficulties, please add them to this list.

(h/t: allthatisinteresting)
#1

Fake Hong Kong Skyline For Tourists

Fake Hong Kong Skyline For Tourists

Petapixle.com Report

#2

Fishermen Row A Boat In The Algae-filled Chaohu Lake In Hefei, Anhui Province

Fishermen Row A Boat In The Algae-filled Chaohu Lake In Hefei, Anhui Province

Jianan Yu Report

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Nicole.c.fo avatar
NicoleF
Community Member
9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Julija, this is clean water, its from Reuters and it was explaining why there was a algae.... why the misinformation?

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#3

Girl Walks Through Smog In Beijing, Where Small-Particle Pollution Is 40 Times Over International Safety Standard

Girl Walks Through Smog In Beijing, Where Small-Particle Pollution Is 40 Times Over International Safety Standard

Kyodo News Report

#4

Child Drinks Water From Stream In Fuyuan County, Yunnan Province

Child Drinks Water From Stream In Fuyuan County, Yunnan Province

Reuters Report

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#5

Boy Swims In Algae-filled Water, Qingdao, Shandong

Boy Swims In Algae-filled Water, Qingdao, Shandong

Reuters Report

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juliemaria_rohde avatar
JulieMariaRohde
Community Member
9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, but polluting stuff as nitrate helps algae bloom, which uses the oxygen in the water, which kills the fish

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#6

Journalist Takes A Sample Of Red Polluted Water From The Jianhe River

Journalist Takes A Sample Of Red Polluted Water From The Jianhe River

Reuters Report

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pureoceanbreeze avatar
RobLaBrushe
Community Member
9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dye from a local plant changes the colour frequently. http://www.ibtimes.com/chinas-river-blood-jian-turns-red-after-chemical-dump-photos-70

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#7

Worker Cleans Away Dead Fish At A Lake In Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province

Worker Cleans Away Dead Fish At A Lake In Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province

Reuters Report

#8

Labourer Tries To Clean Up Oil From Water, Dalian, Liaoning

Labourer Tries To Clean Up Oil From Water, Dalian, Liaoning

Reuters Report

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susanmlane avatar
SuzieLane
Community Member
9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG...chinese leaders need to stop just talking about fixing this and actually do something

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#9

Workers Try To Drain Sewage Water From Leaking Sewage Tank, Shanghang, Fujian

Workers Try To Drain Sewage Water From Leaking Sewage Tank, Shanghang, Fujian

Reuters Report

#10

Buildings In Beijing Surrounded By Smog

Buildings In Beijing Surrounded By Smog

China FotoPress Report

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#11

Child Swims In A Polluted Reservoir, Pingba

Child Swims In A Polluted Reservoir, Pingba

Reuters Report

#12

Boy Tries To Avoid Scattered Rubbish Floating On A Flooded Street In Shantou, Guangdong Province

Boy Tries To Avoid Scattered Rubbish Floating On A Flooded Street In Shantou, Guangdong Province

Reuters Report

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RobLaBrushe
Community Member
9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is the aftermath of a natural disaster that killed hundreds. Rather shameful to have this posted here.

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#13

Pollution From A Factory In Yutian, 100km East Of Beijing

Pollution From A Factory In Yutian, 100km East Of Beijing

Peter Parks Report

#14

Workers Clean Up Floating Garbage On The Yangtze Rive

Workers Clean Up Floating Garbage On The Yangtze Rive

Reuters Report

#15

Dead Fish In Water Filled With Blueish Algae, East Lake, Wuhan

Dead Fish In Water Filled With Blueish Algae, East Lake, Wuhan

Reuters Report

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#16

Woman Collects Plastic Bottles Near River Polluted By Reddish Dye

Woman Collects Plastic Bottles Near River Polluted By Reddish Dye

lu palmerini Report

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lindsayandlife avatar
lindsayandlife
Community Member
9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

probably all of our christmas decorations... http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2014/dec/19/santas-real-worksh

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#17

Man Walks By Pipe Discharging Waste Water Into Yangtze River

Man Walks By Pipe Discharging Waste Water Into Yangtze River

William Hong Report

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OcultoMasks avatar
ShayLhea
Community Member
9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Probably because the US has other countries make everything for them. Waste stays where those items are made, keeping home soil clean.

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#18

Great Wall Of China, Shame.

Great Wall Of China, Shame.

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PetyaHarizanova
Community Member
9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ow, wow! At first I thought "Hmm, looks like some of the ruins in my country..." but then I saw this pile of bottles.... Shame...

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#20

Child Jumps Over Trash At A Village, Jiaxing

Child Jumps Over Trash At A Village, Jiaxing

William Hong Report

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EvelynBock
Community Member
9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Gruselige Fotos - sicher ein Ergebnis der boomenden Wirtschaft und billigen Preise in China :(

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#21

Fisherman Fills His Palms With Water From The Algae-filled Chaohu Lake In Hefei

Fisherman Fills His Palms With Water From The Algae-filled Chaohu Lake In Hefei

Reuters Report

#23

Fisherman Covered In Algae, Chaohu Lake

Fisherman Covered In Algae, Chaohu Lake

Reuters Report

#24

Woman Walks On Bridge Over Polluted River, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province

Woman Walks On Bridge Over Polluted River, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province

Carlos Barria Report

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JohannesKlaeger
Community Member
9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

our debt as well, because of the stupid unreasonable consumer behavior of all industrial countries, and there people have to suffer

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#25

Girl And Her Father Collect Water From Puddle At Dried-up Reservoir, Baofeng County

Girl And Her Father Collect Water From Puddle At Dried-up Reservoir, Baofeng County

Reuters Report

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physicrising avatar
Jan Sam
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In western Canadian city where i once was a discussion arose about quotas and reserving water. It was not to be for you and me.

#26

Fishermen Collecting Fish In A Polluted Canal, Beijing

Fishermen Collecting Fish In A Polluted Canal, Beijing

David Gray Report

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LucyHarvest
Community Member
9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These photos of China pollution is very shocking & very sad indeed!! We are traveling for the first time to China in June. will take masks!!

#27

Workers Collect Dead Fish At A Park In Shenzhen, Guangdong Province

Workers Collect Dead Fish At A Park In Shenzhen, Guangdong Province

Reuters Report

#28

A Street Dog Naps Amoungst The Garbage - Northern China.

A Street Dog Naps Amoungst The Garbage - Northern China.

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#29

Over 3000 Dead Pigs Fished Out Of Huangpu River

Over 3000 Dead Pigs Fished Out Of Huangpu River

www.chinasmack.com Report

#30

Residents Look At A Heavily Polluted River, Zhugao, Sichuan province

Residents Look At A Heavily Polluted River, Zhugao, Sichuan province

independent.co.uk Report

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#31

The Price Of Rapid Industrialization - Western China's Xinjiang Province

The Price Of Rapid Industrialization - Western China's Xinjiang Province

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#33

Workers Clean Up Leaked Oil After An Oil Pipeline Explosion, Qingdao, Shandong

Workers Clean Up Leaked Oil After An Oil Pipeline Explosion, Qingdao, Shandong

Reuters Report

#34

Fishermen Clean Up Oil At Oil Spill Near Dalian Port, Liaoning Province

Fishermen Clean Up Oil At Oil Spill Near Dalian Port, Liaoning Province

Reuters Report

#35

Smog In Beijing

Smog In Beijing

AFP Report

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socialsite2020 avatar
Beatrice DuPont
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

https://www.inkstonenews.com/china/new-study-puts-annual-cost-chinas-air-pollution-38-million-and-11-million-deaths/article/2166591 A million deaths: the annual price of China’s dirty air

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#36

Heavily Polluted Lake In China

Heavily Polluted Lake In China

Bert van Dijk Report

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#37

Flies Gather On Railings Because Of Polluted Water, East Lake, Wuhan

Flies Gather On Railings Because Of Polluted Water, East Lake, Wuhan

Reuters Report

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lorienph avatar
Lorien
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh. My. God. That is revolting. (Excuse my use of the word God)

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#38

Fishermen Brave Heavy Smog Over A Natural Beauty Spot - Jixian, Tianjin.

Fishermen Brave Heavy Smog Over A Natural Beauty Spot - Jixian, Tianjin.

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#39

Great Wall Of China, Call It "great"?

Great Wall Of China, Call It "great"?

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#40

Smog Particles Mix With Fog And Settle At Ground Level In An Early Morning Freeze - Tianjin.

Smog Particles Mix With Fog And Settle At Ground Level In An Early Morning Freeze - Tianjin.

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#41

Heavily Polluted River

Heavily Polluted River

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Jan Sam
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No job, no gag order....could this be the effects of bombing in part ????

#42

Pollution In Beijing From The Seventeenth Floor

Pollution In Beijing From The Seventeenth Floor

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#43

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