China works to clear a decade of garbage from caves near ‘Avatar' mountains
The stunning area is famed for its massive quartz-sandstone pillar formations, which are said to have inspired the floating scenery that appears in the 2009 Hollywood blockbuster 'Avatar.'
But this year, as crowds of tourists pour into the area, just a few dozen miles away a government-ordered mass cleanup operation is taking place, with crews hauling bags of trash out of ancient caves — most reportedly dumped there more than a decade ago.
The long-hidden environmental damage, discovered in Cili county, an area administered by the city of Zhangjiajie, first came to light in March, after several cave explorers posted footage of the trash-filled canyons on Chinese social media platform Douyin.
In May, the clips went viral, sparking nationwide outrage and prompting investigations by state media and local authorities.
The karst caves across Zhangjiajie are among the region's most striking natural wonders, formed over millions of years by water erosion. Inside, they often feature both visible and hidden streams, as well as dramatic limestone formations.
One widely shared series of whistleblowing footage, posted by a spelunker named 'Xiaofugege,' showed plastic bottles, cans and even containers labeled as chemicals covering rocks and underground bodies of water inside multiple caves.
The most shocking clip, posted on May 29, showed stacked trash 'as high as seven to eight floors' according to the spelunker.
In one video, plastic waste can be seen covering an entire surface, prompting the person recording to say: 'Look at how thick the trash is, I can even walk on it.'
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has repeatedly said environmental protection is a top priority for the country.
Officials announced on June 9 that 51 tons of garbage had already been removed from two of the worst-hit caves.
Many of the bags were filled with domestic waste, dumped between 2010 and 2015 after the local government banned trash burning but did not implement any waste removal alternatives.
During that period, dumping garbage into caves was not only common but, in some cases, organized. Local officials and residents told state media that the village would send trucks to collect trash and dump it into the karst caves, a regular waste disposal practice back then.
One resident said his dad, who lived only 200 meters from a cave, always discarded garbage into it by himself 'for convenience,' state media reported.
'Disposable items, worn-out clothes, plastic bags… all kinds of trash are here,' said one safety officer overseeing the cleanup, according to CCTV.
Aside from household garbage, authorities say they are also dealing with animal waste.
In one video shared in April, taken deep inside a large karst cave, manure could be seen pouring through holes in the ceiling, forming sludge pools while staining the white stalactites black.
Cili county is a major pork producer in Hunan, raising 700,000 pigs annually, according to state media. Local authorities have reportedly launched investigations into 12 livestock farms for illegal waste discharge since footage of the local pollution appeared in March.
Chinese social media reactions to news of the cleanup have been scathing.
'What's next? How long will it take for the caves and waters nearby to recover? Hundreds of years, or thousands of years?' wrote one Weibo user.
'The individuals and entities involved should be held accountable and face serious consequences,' said another.
Officials told state media that of the 206 karst caves inspected in the area, two-thirds were polluted to some degree. Meanwhile, clean-up was reportedly paused from June 9 to June 12 due to the discovery of toxic air inside the caves.
According to experts, it might be too late to reverse the damage.
'Once the pollutants seep into the karst aquifers, they can quickly contaminate downstream surface water, leading to deteriorating water quality and harming aquatic ecosystems,' Shuai Huan, deputy director of a local environmental geology survey center, told CCTV.
This isn't an isolated incident. Last year, prosecutors in the city of Bijie, in Guizhou province, confirmed that more than 10 local karst caves were contaminated with household waste, sewage discharge and livestock farm waste following reports from environmentalists.
While bags of trash are being pulled up by cranes in Cili county, the crowds continue to swell nearby in the Zhangjiajie Forest Park. During a holiday break from May 31 to June 2, the popular site saw nearly 400,000 tourists, almost 10% more than the same period last year, according to state media.
The Zhangjiajie Forest Park is part of the larger Wulingyuan Scenic Area, a UNESCO World Heritage site covering more than 100 square miles in Hunan province.
In January 2010, Zhangjiajie officially renamed one of its signature pillars 'Avatar Hallelujah Mountain' to celebrate its cinematic fame, after word got out that James Cameron took inspiration from the area's pillars to create some of the dramatic scenery in his sci-fi film.
'Zhangjiajie not only belongs to the world, but has already made its way to the world,' said a park official at the renaming ceremony.
Today, the park is home to many popular attractions, including the 1,070-foot-tall glass Bailong Elevator.
Built in 2002, it's said to be the world's tallest outdoor elevator. It travels up and down the side of a cliff in the national park and consists of three double-decker lifts, each of which can transport as many as 46 visitors up the mountain in less than two minutes per trip.
The area is also home to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, where visitors can experience one of the world's tallest bungee jumps.
Among the most recent additions to Zhangjiajie is Tianti, which means 'Sky Ladder' in Chinese. At 551 feet long (168 meters), the suspended ladder stretches between two cliffs at a height of 5,000 feet, according to state media.
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Travel + Leisure
17 minutes ago
- Travel + Leisure
I've Lived in Japan for 20 Years—and These Are 10 Common Mistakes I See Tourists Make
Ah, the horror of the cultural faux pas. The hot twist of shame that keeps you up at night, cheeks burning and wondering if you should just grab your passport and make a midnight run for the border. I know the feeling well. With its opaque rules and rigid customs, even the most conscientious traveler can put a foot wrong in Japan. While people are generally gracious about missteps, recent surges in tourist numbers are starting to strain that vaunted hospitality. I've lived here for 20 years—here are 10 common mistakes to avoid on your next trip to Japan. A hand picks up sushi with chopsticks. Jackyenjoyphotography/Getty Images Dining etiquette is a minefield, and the rules are different depending on the cuisine, but proper chopstick manners always make you look good. I'm not talking about being able to use them, although expect any level of proficiency to be greeted with effusive praise. I'm talking about where to put them. When you aren't eating, place chopsticks on the rest provided. In the case of disposable chopsticks, you can make a rest by folding the paper sleeve in half. Never stick them upright in a bowl of rice, as this symbolizes an offering to the dead. Don't point to things with chopsticks or commit the double-dipping sin of taking food from a common plate with chopsticks that have been in your mouth. Some other good tips for dining out: Do slurp noodles like ramen, eat nice sushi with your hands, and neatly fold up the oshibori hand towel after use. Don't arrive late to a reservation, leave food uneaten, or wear strong scents, especially to kaiseki or sushi, where the chef will be highly protective of the subtle flavors. Part of maintaining social harmony in space-starved Japan is literally keeping the peace. I almost never see Japanese people—well, sober ones anyway—having raucous conversations in public. This especially goes for phone conversations. It's considered rude to answer one's phone on public transport or in a restaurant, for example. Of course, you've got to let it all out sometime, and the volume goes way up in places like pubs, playgrounds, and festivals. The rule of thumb is to read the room and set your volume accordingly. A passenger awaits a train arriving in a station. Those videos you've seen of staff physically cramming people into trains? They're real. Rush hour in Tokyo is no joke, as my bruised toes and crushed lungs can attest. So, bringing a giant suitcase on the train at 8 a.m. and parking it in front of the door isn't going to win you any fans. Luckily, Japan has excellent next-day luggage delivery services, so pack an overnight carry-on and entrust oversized bags to the pros. Even at off-peak times, avoid blocking the doors or ticket gates by standing to the side and hold backpacks in front of you so they don't whack other passengers. Eating or drinking is also a no-go, except for long-distance services like the bullet train, where bringing a bento box is practically imperative. One other point to remember is that trains don't run 24/7 in Japan, even in big cities like Tokyo. Particularly for day trips to more rural areas, be sure to check the departure time for your last train so you don't get stranded. A person handing over Japanese Yen. During the pandemic, Japan got a lot better about accepting digital payments, but there are still lots of places that only want cold, hard cash, especially small businesses. I've seen many a tourist have to scramble to find an ATM when they realize they've just eaten a meal they can't pay for. Just to be safe, always carry a bit of cash. Also, Japanese people rarely pass money directly to a cashier, wanting to evade an awkward hand touch. Instead, there is a tray provided next to the register. It's polite to put your cash on the tray and allow the cashier to pick it up. They'll return your change the same way or cushioned on top of a receipt. This one goes out especially to my fellow Americans: Leave the tipping culture at home. It is never expected in Japan for any service, and it just creates confusion. I've seen waitstaff chase customers down the street to return money left on the table. It's like if you went to the supermarket and tried to tip the cashier—they'd just be confused and insist on giving you the correct change. If someone really goes above and beyond, a small gift of appreciation like chocolate will usually be graciously accepted, particularly if it's something representative of your hometown or that isn't readily available in Japan. But again, none of this is expected, and a sincere thank you is appreciated just as much. Nonverbal communication can get non-Japanese speakers a long way, but be aware that not all gestures translate. A common miscommunication happens with beckoning. In Japan, a come-hither gesture is performed palm down with a flick of the fingers, which unfortunately looks a bit like how Europeans and North Americans communicate 'Buzz off, jerk!' When signaling for the check, miming signing a bill will sometimes work, but the more standard gesture is to cross your index fingers in an X, indicating you don't wish to order anything else. Finally, bowing with hands pressed in front of your chest: While this communicates gratitude in much of Southeast Asia, it looks like over-the-top pleading in Japan. A standard bow here is with hands at your sides or clasped neatly at the waist. View of Kyoto through a taxi window. Daniel Gorostieta/Travel + Leisure People often joke about Japan living in the future. When I first arrived, the automatic taxi door cemented that idea as gospel for me. The driver just hits a button and the door swings open to let you in, no need to juggle bags or touch hot metal. The same goes for alighting. Once you've paid, the door automatically swings open to let you out. Magic! Of course, the mechanism can get broken if mishandled, which is why drivers have a sharp word if you try to manually open the door. In other taxi-related tips, drivers will usually insist on loading luggage in the trunk as part of their service. It's okay to hail a taxi on the street so long as there is room to pull off, but you can generally find taxi ranks in front of stations and hotels. Uber does exist in Japan, but only in major cities. Also, it will only connect you with a taxi. A local app called Go is cheaper and more widely used. Following a change to public health laws in 2020, smoking is pretty tightly restricted in Japan to prevent second-hand exposure. This means no smoking in public areas like restaurants and hotels except in designated smoking rooms. All train services, including long-distance bullet trains, are non-smoking. Smoking while walking on the street is banned, and police can hit you with an on-the-spot fine if they catch you lighting up. Screened smoking areas are usually found outside stations or other gathering spots, complete with bins for your butts. Vapes fall under the same rules. And note that e-liquids containing nicotine are not sold in Japan, but you can bring up to 120mL for personal use. Exterior of Kyoto's Imperial Palace. Maria Ligaya/Travel + Leisure Most Japanese people have a very loose relationship to religion compared to some Westerners, adopting practices from Buddhism, Shinto, and even Christianity. That doesn't mean they don't take it seriously, though. A common complaint among my Japanese friends is tourists' lack of respect at shrines and temples. Not just the buildings but also the grounds are considered sacred, so remove hats and sunglasses, moderate your volume, don't take photos of ceremonies unless given express permission, and certainly don't do gymnastics off the torii gates. Another pro tip: The center of the path under a torii is reserved for deities, so stand to the left or right when taking pictures. Visiting a hot spring or sento public bath is a literal immersion in a bathing culture that has lasted more than a millennium. It's part of the social and spiritual fabric of life in Japan, where a long soak before bed is still a nightly practice in many households. But like everything, it has its rules. The communal water is for soaking, so shower first to ensure you aren't bringing in a day's worth of sweat and grime. The small towel provided can be used as a washcloth. Some smaller facilities don't have showers. In that case, use the little buckets provided to scoop up water from the bath and pour it over yourself where it won't splash others. No swimsuits are allowed. It's also bad form to let your towel touch the water, so many people rest it on their heads. Loud talking or splashing can disturb other bathers, so just slip into the water and keep your conversations to a murmur.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
North Korea's opened its doors to Russian tourists. So... how was their holiday?
The world's most secretive state is a mystery for billions of people - but not Anastasiya Samsonova. She has returned from a week's holiday in North Korea. "We saw nothing terrible there, there is no danger there," the 33-year-old HR manager tells me. "Frankly speaking, we really liked it." She was part of a group of 15 tourists who were the first foreign visitors to a new seaside resort, which was in June. Her holiday snaps show a white sand beach, shimmering seas and high-rise hotels. But something's missing - people. There are rows of sun loungers, but not a soul sitting on them. A glittering banquet hall that's devoid of diners. That's because, when it comes to international tourists, the Wonsan-Kalma resort is currently only open to Russians. "The hotel was absolutely new," Anastasiya enthuses, unfussed by the absence of others. "Everything was done very beautifully, a good interior ... very developed infrastructure." But why not Turkey? Or Thailand? I gently suggest that people in Britain might be shocked at the idea of a summer break in a country better known for famines and forced labour than parasols and pina coladas. "We were interested in seeing how people live there," Anastasiya explains. "There were a lot of prejudices about what you can and can't do in North Korea, how you can behave. But actually, we felt absolutely free." Anastasiya is one of a growing number of Russians who are choosing to visit their reclusive neighbour as the two allies continue to forge closer ties following the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine. Last year, North Korean troops supplied military support in Russia's Kursk region, and now there is economic cooperation too. North Korean produce, including apples and beer, has started appearing on supermarket shelves in Russia's far east. And last month, Moscow launched direct passenger flights to Pyongyang for the first time in decades. But can this hermit nation really become a holiday hotspot? The Moscow office of the Vostok Intur travel agency believes so. The company runs twice-weekly tours there, and I'm being given the hard sell. "North Korea is an amazing country, unlike any other in the world," director Irina Kobeleva gushes, before listing some unusual highlights. "It is a country where you will not see any advertising on the streets. And it is very clean - even the asphalt is washed." She shows me the brochures, which present a glossy paradise. There are images of towering monuments, pristine golf greens and immaculate ski slopes. But again, no people. Ms Kobeleva insists the company's tours are increasingly popular, with 400 bookings a month. "Our tourists are mostly older people who want to return to the USSR," she says, "because there is a feeling that the real North Korea is very similar to what was once in the Soviet Union. "But at the same time, there is a huge growing demand among young people." Sure enough, while we're chatting, two customers walk in to book trips. The first is Pavel, a young blogger who likes to "collect" countries. North Korea will be number 89. "The country has opened its doors to us, so I'm taking this chance," he tells me when I ask why he wants to go. Read more from Sky News: For pensioner Tatiana, the reason is sentimental. "My husband wanted to go there, but now he's gone. So I want his wish to come true," she says. It'll certainly cost them. One week's trip that takes in Pyongyang, a circus and the new beach resort, costs roughly £1,500 without flights. At that price, I suspect most tourists will be content for this secretive state to remain hidden.
Wall Street Journal
9 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
Inside Kim Jong Un's New Beach Resort, Where the Only Foreigners Are Russian
At North Korea's new beach resort, the white sand glistened against the crystal-clear waters. Ten minutes of Wi-Fi cost $1.70. Food arrived in abundance, albeit with the same three beverage choices: water, tea or beer. The weeklong trip cost roughly $2,000. The catch? All travelers had to be Russian.
