Surviving 3 days in Xi’an, one of China’s most polluted cities and home to a giant air purifier

XI’AN - Miles away from the famed terracotta warriors and walls of ancient city Xi’an, a tower with a forgotten global reputation stands on its outskirts.

Unlike others drawn to the splendour of China’s capital of 13 imperial dynasties, I was in town for this 20-storey tower – the world’s tallest air purifier, once hyped in the media as a solution to the thick smog plaguing the country.