Tree wall of China fails to keep out the dust

SPRING in Beijing is a season for gauze silk scarves — not a fashion fad but an essential accessory to wrap around the face, tied tightly at the neck, to protect against sandstorms.
Beijing’s dust is so thick and fine that it clogs the nostrils, blisters the eyes and scratches the throat. It sneaks through every crack, sifts between the doors and window panes and covers every surface with a thick, yellowish coating.
If any Beijing resident was unaware that April was the worst month for sand-laden winds blowing down from the Gobi Desert of Inner Mongolia, a survey shows that the winds transformed the capital into China’s most polluted place last month.