Beijing pollen
#1
Original Poster
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS
Posts: 15,027
Beijing pollen
A day after I arrived in Beijing (and stood for an hour in the taxi cue at Beijing West train station in the smog) I have a severe allergy attack.
I am popping antihistamines like crazy but it does not seem to help. I noticed small white fluffy things floating in the air. Note sure if it is related to my stuffed nose.
Glad I am going home tomorrow...
I am popping antihistamines like crazy but it does not seem to help. I noticed small white fluffy things floating in the air. Note sure if it is related to my stuffed nose.
Glad I am going home tomorrow...
#2

Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: KIX, ITM, UKB, YVR
Programs: Star Alliance - AC
Posts: 2,356
Sorry to hear.
Interestingly my wife after living in China now for three years has found that her allergies / hay fever is practically gone. The second she gets off the plane in Canada or Japan, her hay fever is back with a vengeance.
Interestingly my wife after living in China now for three years has found that her allergies / hay fever is practically gone. The second she gets off the plane in Canada or Japan, her hay fever is back with a vengeance.
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend




Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 46,306
No. The OP is spot on in this case (though I would never question the possibility that industrial pollutants are also at play). While I forget the name of the offending tree, the BJ government planted thousands of them about 10 years ago; this helped wrt the pollution problem (fast growing and early blooming), but the white fluffy things caused so much outrage that they've been in the process of replacing them with kinder trees as fast as possible. This is precisely the reason I advise people to avoid BJ between April 20 and May 10.
#5
Original Poster
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS
Posts: 15,027
No. The OP is spot on in this case (though I would never question the possibility that industrial pollutants are also at play). While I forget the name of the offending tree, the BJ government planted thousands of them about 10 years ago; this helped wrt the pollution problem (fast growing and early blooming), but the white fluffy things caused so much outrage that they've been in the process of replacing them with kinder trees as fast as possible. This is precisely the reason I advise people to avoid BJ between April 20 and May 10.
#7




Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SIN / CNX / SFO
Programs: UA GS, SQ PPS, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Accor Gold
Posts: 1,253
The offending trees go by 白杨 or 杨树, which I think translates as poplar or willow (I forget which). Though I'm not allergic, I'm also not immune from that miserable white fluff covering myself and my belongings and generally making late April through mid-May a rather annoying time to be in Beijing...
#8
Ambassador: China
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Malibu Inferno Ground Zero
Programs: UA AA CO
Posts: 4,836
Spring Snow
Years ago when the city of Beijing needed to plant trees for shade and to help improve air quality, poplar and willow trees were planted due to their fast growth and hearty nature in the tough Beijing climate. But those lovely trees are the very culprits of the flurry.catskins....fluffy things you see around at this time of year, sometimes so plentiful that they obstruct your view when driving or riding a bike..
#9
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: YYC
Posts: 215
Years ago when the city of Beijing needed to plant trees for shade and to help improve air quality, poplar and willow trees were planted due to their fast growth and hearty nature in the tough Beijing climate. But those lovely trees are the very culprits of the flurry.catskins....fluffy things you see around at this time of year, sometimes so plentiful that they obstruct your view when driving or riding a bike..


