Airborne pollution in Chiang Mai, which was ranked the most polluted city in the world by the real time Air Quality Index (AQI) last week, has become a topic of widespread criticism in Xiaohongshu, a popular Chinese life-style social media.
According to Ai Chong’s Facebook post on events and life styles in China, the hashtag “smog season in Chiang Mai” has attracted about 50,000 views, while another hashtag “air pollution” has attracted over 17 million views.
One post about the pollution in Chiang Mai reads “Bye-bye Chiang Mai. Will return the next time because the smog problem is unbearable.”
Ai Chong said that, although the “smog season in Chiang Mai” hashtag has not yet gone viral, the pollution will hurt the image of the city in the long run. He also said that he re-posted the criticism in Xiaohongshu, with an intention to address the problem to Thai authorities so they would tackle the issue earnestly and sustainably.
Meanwhile, CNN reported on the pollution in Chiang Mai, noting that the air-borne pollutants are 20 times higher than the standard of the World Health Organization. It reported that the problem are being caused by the burning of farm waste to prepare land for the next crop cycle.
Today, Chiang Mai is the world’s fifth most polluted city, according to the real time AQI.
