Walking on the streets of Gujiao recently, my mind went back three years to my first visit to this industrial town, a satellite city northwest of Taiyuan.

The keyword then was "dusty". People kept their windows closed all day to prevent dust from covering the furniture; the external walls of the buildings were gray and dark because there was too much dust; and masks were the best-selling items in town because people were unable to walk in the open without one.

Everyone I met then spoke about the need for change nobody wanted to live in an environment where tables get dusty every day. The residents wanted clean air, clean water, blue skies and green meadows.