Phantom mountains and chimneys were seen above the sea near the container dock in Shekou in Nanshan District on Monday afternoon.
The strange vision, which most witnesses said was a mirage, appeared at around 3 p.m. and lasted for almost two hours, Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.
A mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays are bent to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky.
In addition to a chain of mountains and chimneys, oil tanks also appeared in the mirage, which mirrored the scene in Dachan Bay in the far west of the city.
It was definitely a mirage because the mountains in Yuen Long in Hong Kong across from the dock are not as high as the mountains in the phantom vision, said a witness surnamed Liu, who has been living in Shekou for more than 10 years.
There was heavy fog in Shenzhen early Monday, reducing visibility.
An engineer at the meteorological observatory, Peng Yong, said fog was common in Shenzhen in March.
The fog was not harmful but weather conditions leading to foggy weather could have an effect on people s health.
Cold air would bring temperatures down in the next three days, according to the weather forecast.(Li Hao)
