The air pollution in China is a problem known and discussed around the world. Beijing in particular suffers from such a thick cloud of permanent smog that on most days, residents are unable to even see the sun in the sky.

In a story straight out of a dystopian sci-fi novel, the natural light-starved residents of Beijing have regained the ability to watch the sun rise and set thanks to gigantic commercial LED screens placed in Tiananmen Square and elsewhere in the capital city.

While these screens are typically used for advertisements and government messages (the one above says “Protecting atmospheric environment is everyone’s responsibility”), they have been providing residents with artificial sunlight on otherwise grey and gloomy days.

Although the simulated sunlight is a lovely picture, it doesn’t provide the Vitamin D that humans need. It also does nothing to mitigate the appalling environmental conditions that cause many residents to wear industrial-strength masks when they go outside.