KIWI HEATHER DOES CHINA

Kiwi friend Heather is just back from China. She was actually in Sichuan during the earthquake - as was our Oz friend Christine - and I have both their stories and intend to put them up here as soon as I fact-check with the pair of them, so watch this space.

In the meantime, here are three of the most shocking photographs I have seen in a long time. Kiwi Heather was interested in the architecture of the two new Olympic venues "The Bird's Nest" and "The Water Cube" - which, you have to admit, are just stunning - so went out to see them. These photographs are what she saw and her comment was "How long can you hold your breath?"

THE BIRDS NEST VENUE

THE WATER CUBE VENUE

However you can't say that Beijing's air quality is always like this. If you compare the photo below of the bridge over to the Summer Palace with the one taken just over a month ago down in the archives (April 14th) in the story called "David Does China" ...

BRIDGE TO THE SUMMER PALACE

... you can really see the change.

Here, to save you the seach:

FIJI DAVID'S PHOTO

Only six weeks between these two photos.

Seems China has yanked up the factory production volume bigtime since word came out that they have to shut down next month until the Olympics are over. Two months of forbidden production to clear up the air pollution! And, boy oh boy, have they pumped it up in the interum!

My best advice would have to be to stay away from Beijing, unless you bring your own oxygen tanks, until the middle of July.