'Astronauts' hand out free masks in N China (3)

（People's Daily Online） 14:57, February 01, 2013

A man dressed as an astronaut hands out free masks on a street in Taiyuan of Shanxi Province- one of China’s coal mine hubs-on Jan 31, 2013 (Photo/CNS)

The recent smog across China has affected more than 800 million people, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Ministry of Environmental Protection said in a report issued on Wednesday that the recent smog has spread across the northern, central and eastern parts of the country.

Hot News	We Recommend
* Amazing China in 1950s you’ve never seen	* Living in Beijing on monthly income of 10,000 yuan
* A visit to the village of lepers in Yunnan	* The art of food, the art of life
* Beijing fantasy emerges in dense fog	* Time to stop appalling food waste on dining table
* How much should we pay for family reunion?	* A seven-year-old girl supports a family
* People on way home during festival travel rush	* Mummified bodies found in Beijing flat