We have seen last of sand ... I hope

During the May Day holiday, Beijing was hit by strong sandstorms, creating the worst weather of the year. You were born in Beijing and have lived here for decades. Is the situation better or worse?

You know what, the situation is much better now. Actually, it's not until recent years that I think the people came up with the term shachenbao ("sandstorm"). When I was a kid, weather like this was very normal. We just called it a windy day, nothing special. The hutong we lived in at that time had no cement walkways, just rough dirt paths. It really hurt when the strong winds carried the sand or dirt as they smashed right into your face. I remember women had to wrap their heads with scarves before they rode bikes to work. The government has invested huge sums into planting trees in neighboring provinces to improve the situation and safeguard the city. As far as I know, forests and green areas have been created in Hebei, Jilin and Gansu provinces, and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Usually mid- to late spring is when sandstorms are most frequent, especially when the new grass is fragile and rainfall is low. I predict after this recent sandstorm, there'll be no more weather like it. After all, summer is on the way.

People today are complaining about the rising prices of vegetables and fruits more than ever before. How do you feel about the challenges facing both farmers and consumers?