Tree-lined road leaves locals scratching heads

Photo: Wuhan Evening News /bbs.cnhan.com

A street in Wuhan's Qingshan district, Hubei province seems to show the line where summer ends and winter begins. The road, which runs through the Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Corporation, is lined with green leaves on one side and yellow on the other.

The man who posted the photos online, surnamed Hao, pointed out the row of oriental plane trees on the left side began turning yellow two weeks ago. They are also closer to the plant's cold rolling mill, where raw steel is worked into shape at room temperature.

Wang Piao, an engineer with the city's landscaping research institute, explained that operations at the cold mill may have a slight impact on the surrounding temperatures, or air pollution may have contributed to the early change in leaf color.