The province is one of the fastest and richest in north-central China. It is rich in coal and is therefore getting rich from coal power plants. They dot the landscape and keep a dusty cloud hanging over the region.
When you blow your nose it comes out speckled with black dirt. After washing your face and hands the water in the sink is tinted gray and black with the dirt.
Taiyuan, the capital, is very industrial and a heavy smog sits over the city like an extremely overcast day. The cars are coated and the air is heavy with the dust from the coal. It's a harsh environment for six days of travel. It's amazing that people live full time there. My lungs hurt last night after getting back, but it was nice to breathe the fresh air in a cool rainy night in Beijing.
This is the price of a developing economy. It's not until you can afford to care about the environment that you care about the environment, so why should they worry about it? That was the biggest complaint of Shanxi people, "the air is so bad here." I said that's just the developing economy, when the region is developed the air will get cleaner. It's amazing that they are burning so much coal. I've heard this region used to be worse. Ten years ago it apparently was worse, with totally black mucus. What a great way to explain it, but I feel it's a way to paint the picture.
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