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Tourists told to stop shoving coins into rocks at Giant's Causeway

Tourists told to stop shoving coins into rocks at Giant's Causeway

The Star6 days ago
Rust marks left by coins placed in the cracks of the stones at the Giant's Causeway, near Bushmills in Northern Ireland. — AFP
Northern Ireland's Giant's Causeway draws close to one million visitors a year but their habit of wedging tiny coins in cracks between the rocks – to bring love or luck – is damaging the world-famous wonder.
Now authorities are urging tourists to keep their coins in their pockets to preserve the spectacular landscape.
Some 40,000 columns mark the causeway, Northern Ireland's first Unesco World Heritage Site.
Geologists say the natural phenomenon was created by an outpouring of basalt lava 60 million years ago.
Legend has it that the causeway was formed by Irish giant Finn McCool.
In recent decades, visitors have pushed thousands of coins into fissures in the rocks.
The gesture is "a token of love or luck", according to Cliff Henry, the causeway's nature engagement officer.
But the coins rapidly corrode and expand, causing the basalt to flake and leaving "unsightly" rust-coloured streaks, Henry said.
He pointed to streaks on a rock and gingerly prised out a US cent with a set of keys.
"We get a lot of euros and dollar cents. But coins from literally all over the world – any currency you can think of, pretty much – we have had it here," he said.
Giant's Causeway is Northern Ireland's first Unesco World Heritage Site. — AFP
A report by the British Geological Survey in 2021 revealed that the coins were "doing some serious damage" and something had to be done about it, he noted.
Signs are now in place around the site appealing to tourists to "leave no trace".
"Once some visitors see other people have done it, they feel that they need to add to it," said causeway tour guide Joan Kennedy.
She and her colleagues now gently but firmly tell tourists to desist.
At the exit from the causeway, a US couple said they were "distressed" to hear of the damage the metal caused.
"Our guide mentioned as we came up that people had been putting coins into the stones. It's really terrible to hear that," said Robert Lewis, a 75-year-old from Florida.
"It's kind of like damaging any kind of nature when you are doing something like that, putting something foreign into nature. It's not good," said his wife, Geri, 70.
As part of a £30,000 (170,970) conservation project, stone masons recently removed as many coins as they could – without causing further damage – from 10 test sites around the causeway.
Henry said the trial was successful and is to be expanded across the causeway.
National Trust's Nature Engagement Officer, Cliff Henry, looks for coins left by tourists in the cracks of the stones at the Giant's Causeway. — AFP
"If we can get all those coins removed to start with that will help the situation and hopefully no more coins will be put in," he said.
"If visitors see fewer coins in the stones and hear appeals to stop the damaging practice, the problem can maybe be solved.
"We know that visitors love and cherish the Giant's Causeway,and many form deep personal connections to it, so we want this natural wonder to remain special for future generations." – AFP
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Back home for good: Young entrepreneurs transforming China's countryside
Back home for good: Young entrepreneurs transforming China's countryside

Borneo Post

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Back home for good: Young entrepreneurs transforming China's countryside

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Utilising his skills in livestreaming and digital marketing, he began helping neighbors, who he affectionately calls 'uncles and aunts', promote their lodgings online. His studio setup now supports a network of homestays across Wangxian. 'Each month, we bring them over 100 bookings,' he said. 'This isn't about competition. It's about growing together. This is our home.' The transformation of Wangxian Valley began in 2007 when the local government shut down the granite mines. In 2010, a tourism developer stepped in and helped turn the gorge into a fantastical destination, changing what was once the 'most unlikely tourist spot' into a viral favorite on Chinese social media. Wangxian Township now hosts more than 340 homestays and 110 farm-to-table restaurants. Over 2,000 jobs have been created directly by the tourism sector, with another 30,000 supported across the region. Wang Bin, in his thirties, also grew up in the village. Wang had built a successful career in the coastal provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu. 'In 2021, I started noticing that more and more young people were returning home to start businesses. I wanted to be part of that,' he said. In May 2023, drawing on his years of experience in big cities, Wang began building a hotel equipped with urban-style amenities, investing over 3 million yuan, which was significantly more than the typical 200,000-yuan budget of local farmers' guesthouses. 'Most places offered basic rooms for 150 yuan a night,' he says. 'We started at over 300, because we provided more – spotless interiors, professional service, and a refined atmosphere that visitors from cities expect.' His approach set a new standard, promoting other homestays to upgrade, too. 'We raised the bar for the whole valley,' Wang said. 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While working in Hangzhou, China's e-commerce hub, he spotted a business opportunity in fabric crafts, learned the necessary skills online, and, with support from local poverty alleviation programmes, founded a textile business in 2016. What began as a tiny workshop has grown into a full-scale enterprise with over 100 local employees, including eight with disabilities and 20 from formerly impoverished households. 'Many of the employees worked outside the village before joining here,' said Qi. 'But now they can earn an average of 4,000 yuan a month and take care of their families.' After finding success, Qi made it a point to give back to his community. Whenever villagers came to learn from him, he welcomed them with open arms, teaching not just fabric-making skills but also how to set up and run an online store. His village, once quiet and struggling, is now vibrant with entrepreneurial energy, fueled by improved logistics facilities, geographic advantages, and the rise of e-commerce. More than 20 businesses have sprung up around Qi's, and over 300 online stores now sell locally made fabric door curtains and soft furnishings, with a total annual online sales of 250 million yuan. Over 1,000 villagers can work 'near their home doors' now. Entrepreneurs returning to their hometowns, such as Xu Zhicheng, Wang Bin, and Qi Huidong, have injected fresh energy and vitality into rural development as part of China's broader rural revitalisation efforts. Between 2020 and 2024, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in China increased from 17,131 yuan to 23,119 yuan, representing a cumulative rise of nearly 35 per cent over the four years. In 2024 alone, rural income grew by 6.3 per cent in real terms, outpacing that of urban residents. 'The key to rural revitalisation lies in the talent,' said Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs, at a press conference at the beginning of the year when elaborating China's measures to advance all-around rural revitalization. 'The core idea is to attract people through the vast development opportunities rural areas offer, and to retain them with a livable, idyllic countryside environment,' said Han. 'Concerns such as career development and social security will also be addressed, so that young people can not only stay in the countryside, but also thrive there,' he added. – Xinhua China countryside Wangxian Valley Xinhua young entrepreneurs

Turmoil or not, luxury fashion can't afford to ignore the Middle East region
Turmoil or not, luxury fashion can't afford to ignore the Middle East region

The Star

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  • The Star

Turmoil or not, luxury fashion can't afford to ignore the Middle East region

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Stranded fighter jet departs after repairs and social media fame
Stranded fighter jet departs after repairs and social media fame

The Star

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  • The Star

Stranded fighter jet departs after repairs and social media fame

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