Welcome steps against smog

Masking Price (April 10) illustrates a key point about the double-edged nature of the air pollution issue. It's important to note that the issue by and large affects everyone, whether rich or poor. But this article illustrates how more well-off Beijingers have much more readily available coping strategies that may either be too expensive for regular folk, like indoor air purifiers, or simply confined to small sectors of the population, like these innovative children's masks.

That is one of the main reasons why the recent intervention from the government in declaring war on pollution is so relevant and important. I couldn't help but think to myself, "Someone should be distributing such things to protect all children, and not just those of well-educated parents," and was delighted to see that a distribution campaign will occur at no cost to the recipients.

Such efforts are just one small step in the much greater effort to clean up this wonderful city's air, but they are nonetheless welcome. This particular case is also an example of a successful collaboration between civil society and the government that has resulted in a positive step forward for the greater society at large. It would be good to see more such cross-societal cooperation in tackling the complicated issue of air pollution in the city.

Hu Chen, by e-mail

Repeating mistakes of past

It's bittersweet to learn from A Taste of Village Life (April 10) about the conditions of traditional villages around Beijing and elsewhere in China that have persisted through such rapidly changing times. The mere fact such clear windows into China's past still exist and are made ever more popular through modern tourism is a positive fact to keep in mind. Conversely, the article points out the disappointing fact that these relics of times long past are being destroyed by modernization at such a high rate. Tourism will play an important role in preserving a few particular villages that see a lot of attention, but for the vast majority of the rest, the question is what will become of them.

Many people view the traditional village life as something that is backward and undesirable; this stigma undoubtedly rubs off on the villagers themselves who desire better conditions, and often involves razing their homes to build anew. Perhaps it's time to think about ways we can bring these jewels of China's past into the modern age while keeping intact the more attractive, traditional elements. It seems if nothing is done, we may make the same mistakes as in the past and destroy an important piece of our traditional culture, but this time in the name of modernization.

Huang Fen, by e-mail