UPDATE – It turns out that the screens are actually an ad for tourism in China’s Shandong province and not a way to provide a fake sunrise during extreme smog.
No, Beijing residents are NOT watching fake sunrises on giant TVs because of pollution http://t.co/bntdlwgpnS
— Tech in Asia (@techinasia) January 20, 2014
Giant digital billboard screens in Beijing have recently been used to display sunrises on mornings when the city’s air pollution is so severe that it blots out the rising sun. These photos were taken on January 16, 2014, when PM2.5 particulate air pollution spiked to 671 micrograms per cubic meter—the World Health Organization considers 25 micrograms to be the maximum safe level.