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Taihe is a county-level city situated in the heart of Sichuan Province's fertile central basin, approximately 150 kilometres northeast of Chengdu. Nestled at coordinates 30.8710°N, 105.3880°E, Taihe occupies a strategic position within the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone, one of China's major industrial corridors. The city's terrain is predominantly flat to gently rolling, typical of the Sichuan Basin, with an average elevation around 400 metres above sea level. This basin geography creates a natural topographic bowl that significantly influences air quality by trapping pollutants under stable atmospheric conditions. Taihe lies near the Fu River, a tributary of the Yangtze, though not directly on major waterways, reducing any moderating maritime effects on pollution dispersion. The surrounding landscape transitions from dense urban development in Taihe's core to intensive agricultural zones growing rice, rapeseed, and citrus, then to forested hills at the basin's edges. This urban-rural gradient means pollution sources blend general urban emissions from Taihe's 732,380 residents with regional agricultural burning and dust. The city's location in eastern Sichuan places it downwind of industrial clusters in Chongqing and Chengdu, receiving transported pollutants via prevailing winds, while local manufacturing and transportation contribute to the urban pollution mix. The basin's enclosed nature, combined with high humidity from Sichuan's subtropical climate, creates ideal conditions for particulate matter accumulation and secondary aerosol formation.

Taihe's air quality follows distinct seasonal patterns shaped by Sichuan Basin meteorology. Winter (December-February) brings the worst pollution, particularly in January, when temperature inversions trap cold, stagnant air in the basin, preventing pollutant dispersion. These inversions, combined with increased residential heating emissions and occasional agricultural burning, create persistent haze. Sensitive groups should limit outdoor activities during winter mornings when inversions are strongest. Spring (March-May) sees gradual improvement as warming temperatures break inversions and occasional rainfall washes pollutants away, though March can still experience poor air quality from lingering winter patterns and increased dust. Summer (June-August) offers the cleanest air, with monsoon rains from the southeast flushing pollutants, higher mixing heights allowing vertical dispersion, and strong solar radiation breaking down some pollutants. However, high temperatures can increase ozone formation on sunny days. Autumn (September-November) begins with relatively good air quality in September but deteriorates through November as temperatures drop, inversions return, and reduced rainfall allows pollutant accumulation. The transition months of November and March are particularly variable. For optimal outdoor activity, target June through September, while sensitive individuals should monitor daily forecasts year-round and use air purifiers indoors during peak pollution periods.