Though most of Chinese cities suffering from acid rain are located in the southern part of the country, Beijing is obviously an exception.

As a matter of fact, the city has been put on the list of acid rain cities ever since year before last. Statistics show that in last August alone, more than 80% of the rains in Beijing were acid.

Beijingers feel puzzled, for air quality in the city has greatly improved since 1998. Why does improved air still generate such ferocious rains?

Experts explain that though air has become cleaner, upper air environment is still imbalanced, thus there are not enough chemical substances in the air to counter the acid.

Acid rain these years has ruined many modern buildings in the city, for concrete structures are extremely vulnerable to acids. Ancient buildings can’t survive, either, for most of them are built of marbles.

Acid rains themselves can be a fatal pollutant to plants and aquatic animals, not to mention their harmfulness to people's health.

(China Daily October 11, 2006)