Photographing China’s Super Sandstorm

On Monday 15th March 2021, a record breaking sandstorm descended on northern China, engulfing cities including the Chinese capital, Beijing.

Photographer and Filmmaker, Sean Gallagher, went out into the sandstorm and this video shows you his experiences and difficulties in capturing photos during this extreme weather event.

In recent decades, northern China has suffered from sandstorms as a result of increasing desertification in the north of the country which is largely dry, arid and covered with deserts. Efforts have been made in recent years to combat desertification, but the once-in-a-decade sandstorm that descended on China in March 2021 is proof that the country still has a long way to go in controlling its deserts.