The Smog In Beijing Is So Bad You Have To Watch The Sunrise On TV

If you want to see the sunrise in Beijing, you can't necessarily look up in the sky.

The smog has become so dangerously thick, officials are televising virtual sunrises on massive TV screens throughout the city. The screens are normally used for advertisements for local tourist destinations, but are now being used for something that the rest of us perhaps take for granted.

Viewing the sunrise isn't the only thing affected by the smog. Chinese officials had to close some freeways because of low visibility levels. On Thursday, the level of pollution was "hazardous," meaning that the air quality index was many times over what's considered safe by the World Health Organization, according to The New York Times.

Check out the video below to see what the sunrise looks like on a giant TV screen.