Capital's air quality sharply improved

Beijing residents, used to seeing smoggy winter days, have enjoyed what have been called amazing days free of pollution, for 80 percent of the time in November. The blue sky has continued, data from the top environment authority showed on Thursday.

Data released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection on Thursday shows that Beijing's air quality improved sharply in November, with the average PM2.5 concentration count cut by 54 percent to 46 micrograms per cubic meter, almost the summertime level in the capital.

The air quality index stood at less than 100 on 80 percent of days in November. A year earlier, just 43 percent of days had an air quality index below 100.