Smog-throttled residents of Zhengzhou in Henan province took in a breath of fresh mountain air over the weekend without actually taking a trek up the mountains. 

Instead, mountain air was brought to them vacuum-packed in 20 large bags.

One by one, residents patiently queued up for their turn to put on the masks that were hanging from the air bags.  

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They only had a minute each to breathe in the pure mountain air.  Some squeezed hard to wring out the last air molecule, some clutched hard not wanting to let go, some breathed long and deep as if it was their last.

The packed air had come from Laojun Mountain, a pristine scenic spot lined with streams, rivers and rolling hills spanning four counties of China's Yunnan province.

The delivery of the vacuum-packed mountain air to city residents that had been suffering from smog-filled days was meant as a tourism promotion for the Laojun Mountain scenic spot.

It was also meant to raise awareness on the importance of protecting the environment, the scenic spot organizers said.

But the sight of young children, pregnant women and old folks desperately partaking of whatever little amount of pure air was brought to their midst was a disturbing sight nonetheless - a telling sign of how the country's march to progress in a bid to give its people a better life, has deprived people of the one important force that gives life.