Out of sight, but never out of mind

For Shen Xiaolian, beautiful scenery and clean air only exist on television.

In terms of journey time, the place the 97-year-old finds it easiest to visit is the food market, 2.8 kilometers from her Beijing apartment, but that's only during spring and autumn, when the weather is neither too hot or too cold.

In response, she has developed her own method of fighting the gloomy, hazy days that often occur during the long winters in the capital - a secluded life and a peaceful mind.