Motorists in Xinjiang province were forced to drive with their lights on at midday due to the shroud of dust.
Towering clouds of sand darkened skies across a broad swath of China, stretching from westernmost Xinjiang province to Taiwan.
The massive sandstorm initially turned the midday sky in Xinjiang an eerie red while motorists were forced to inch along with visibilities of only about 200 feet.
Additional clouds of sand were lifted off the Gobi Desert when the front spread across central and eastern China.
The red pall eventually reached Taiwan, reducing visibility to about three miles and partially obscuring the sun.
Video still: CCTV