In the first half of this year, Beijing's residents have enjoyed the best air quality in nearly 10 years, with over 80 percent of days meeting the standard for air quality.

Data from Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center reveals that in June, Beijing recorded 25 "blue sky days" meeting the standards, and only 5 days of slight or mild pollution in terms of air quality.

By the end of the first half, the cumulative number of "blue sky days" in Beijing reached 146, accounting for 80.7 percent. This is the best level compared to the same period over the last 10 years, with 47 "blue sky days" more than the average. Furthermore, Beijing also experienced 15 consecutive days of good air quality six times in the first half. This is the first time it has happened in nearly 10 years.

The "dust and sand days" in Beijing dropped from 11 last year to six in 2009. This has increased the number of blue sky days, said an official from Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau. Also, because Beijing phased out a total of 55,000 "yellow-label" vehicles during the first five months, the gross pollution relating to motor vehicles did not rise despite an increase of 200,000 vehicles during this period.