An official of Dazhou Environment Protection Bureau in Sichuan province pointed a finger to the smoking of bacon as one of the causes for the smog plaguing the city since the New Year.

The claim has triggered online discussions of mixed reactions, as many locals hold smoking bacon as a traditional method of preserving pork for the upcoming Spring Festival.

On Sina Weibo – a Twitter-like microblogging platform, some netizens have mocked the official's argument by saying that Dazhou's air should smell like bacon.

It is not the first time that officials have suggested controversial explanations for the cause of smog. In October, environmental watchdogs in Beijing and Henan province blamed the smog on farmers burning straw, an agricultural practice with a long history.