Beijing and other key Chinese cities issued red alerts on air pollution in the past weeks. (Photo : Reuters)
State-run Xinhua News Agency recently published an article stating that a number of Chinese residents are starting to buy bottled cans of fresh air from Canada.
According to the company Rocky Mountains, the 120-yuan bottle, which contains 150 breaths, has the purest air and has "natural energy."
Around 40 key Chinese cities, including Beijing and Tianjin, have issued air pollution red alerts on Tuesday.
The product, known as Vitality Air, was initially intended for American consumers, company owners Moses Lam and Troy Paquette revealed. The two added that upon hearing about the pollution in China, they decided to bring the product to the country around two months ago.
"We did a promotion on Alibaba's Tmall on China's Singles' Day on Nov. 11," Catherine Qi, the product's marketing director, said.
"Because our concept is new and Beijing was blanketed in acrid smog, our product caught market attention quickly," she added.
Qi further shared that Vitality Air is mainly sold in the smog hotspots of northeast and north China, and in high-end clubs and international schools.
The company executive also revealed that they have received over 4,000 orders after the first batch of the bottled air (composed of 500 items) sold out.
The report noted that on Tuesday, the number of PM2.5 (particles that are smaller than 2.5 micrometers) increased to 330 micrograms per cubic meter. Citing the figure, people said they understand why the bottled air is in demand.
The story went viral online, drawing various kinds of comments. Most call the phenomenon "interesting."
