A resident walks on a street during the sandstorm in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: IC photo

People walk on a pedestrian bridge in Shuangjing area of Beijing on Thursday. Photo: IC photo

A visitor hangs out at Tiananmen Square during the sandstorm in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: IC photo

A person wears a face shield, mask, and gloves to cope with wind gusts in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: VCG

Residents pass through a street amid a strong wind in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Jia Tianyong/China News Service, VCG

A resident rides a bicycle on a street in Hohhot, North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Thursday. Photo: VCG

Sand and dust turn Tianjin’s skyline into yellow on Thursday. Photo: VCG

A sandstorm shrouds the Forbidden City in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Tian Yuhao/China News Service, VCG

Sand and dust obscure the sky over the Great Wall in Chengde, North China’s Hebei province, on Thursday. Photo: VCG