Dense fog turns Shanghai into ancient art

A dense fog engulfed Shanghai on Tuesday morning, affecting road, water and air traffic while at the same time transforming the city into a heavenly world as depicted in traditional Chinese watercolor paintings.

The fog started to set in early in the morning. At 5:46 am, the Shanghai Meteorological Service upgraded the fog warning from yellow to orange, the second-highest in a three-level system when visibility in the city's six districts - Songjiang, Minhang, Jinshan, Fengxian, Pudong and Chongming - dropped below 200 meters. The warning was cleared by 11:35 am.

In its densest moment, the view from the Huangpu River resembled that of a Chinese water town found in typical traditional Chinese watercolor paintings with the city's modern skyline largely blurred by the misty veil. The only few remaining visible included the soaring tips of the city's three tallest buildings, Jinmao Tower, Shanghai Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center.