University student volunteers from various colleges in Haidian District weaved through Fragrant Hills Park, offering free directions, maintaining order, and keeping the environment clean, serving visitors with bright smiles and enthusiasm.
Last weekend, the color-change rate of the maple leaves at Fragrant Hills exceeded 70%, marking the most beautiful season. The fine weather also boosted visitors’ enthusiasm for leaf-peeping, with 200,000 people climbing the mountain over the weekend—the highest number since the start of the Red Leaf Festival. While enjoying the red leaf scenery, visitors also created challenges for the park’s cleaning staff—workers had to clear nearly 10 tons of trash each day, double the amount from two weeks earlier.
Hundreds of cigarette butts cleared in an hour
At 10 a.m. the day before yesterday, Fragrant Hills Park was already bustling with visitors, and park announcements repeatedly played anti-smoking reminders: “Fragrant Hills is a Class A fire prevention scenic area. Please do not smoke in the park.” Signage along paths also urged: “Hold back a little, and the forest will be that much safer.”
Even so, it could not stop smokers from lighting up. Cigarette butts were found everywhere—under trees and in crevices between steps. Staff and volunteers at Fragrant Hills joined the “no smoking” effort. “We can pick up hundreds of cigarette butts in just one hour,” said a cleaner near the east gate of the park as he struggled to remove a butt stuck in a step gap.
During the Red Leaf Festival, the number of cleaners at Fragrant Hills Park increased from 90 to 150, ensuring constant sanitation, while the number of trash bins also rose to 470. Last weekend, workers cleared nearly 10 tons of trash daily, mainly consisting of fruit peels, melon seeds, beverage bottles, and packaging.
Over 100 cleaners sweep without raising dust
Before 4 a.m., Mr. Han, a cleaner at Fragrant Hills Park, started work in the dark, tasked with clearing the trash left by the last group of visitors the previous day before sunrise.
Bending, picking up, sweeping... Mr. Han repeated these motions along his route, leaving no bit of litter behind. By 7 a.m., he had cleaned his assigned area. But he didn’t get a break, as more visitors entered the park, bringing fresh litter. Throughout the morning, Mr. Han and his colleagues barely paused their sweeping, not even stopping to take a sip of water.
Mr. Han said the hard work was nothing, but what upset him most was the lack of understanding from some visitors. Sometimes when he advised against littering, visitors would roll their eyes and say, “If we didn’t throw trash, you’d be out of a job.”
Cleaners who are misunderstood by visitors still have to constantly consider the visitors’ feelings. “We try to keep our brooms low to avoid raising dust,” Mr. Han said, explaining they must avoid annoying visitors.
Visitors climb trees for photos, damaging vegetation
On the way to Shizi Peak, visitors carrying red leaves could often be spotted, with some even breaking off branches to take photos. By Eyeglass Lake, a nearly fully red-leaved smoketree became a top choice for photos. Many female visitors pulled at branches to pose, causing leaves to fall continuously until only bare twigs remained. On Shizi Peak, several young men and women climbed trees over ten meters high and tied blessing strips to the treetops. When staff tried to stop them, the youths showed no shame.
To protect vegetation, the park installed over one-meter-high iron railings as barriers along the inner side of walking paths, but this did not stop determined climbers. They crawled over the barriers to take photos and have picnics in the woods, leaving piles of trash behind.
Vendors pick red leaves on the mountain, sell them as souvenirs down below
“3 yuan for 12 sheets, 3 yuan for 12 sheets…” Entering Fragrant Hills Park via MaiMai Street, vendors selling red leaf souvenirs could be seen everywhere.
Smaller leaves were sold in stacks of three for 1 yuan, while more exquisitely packaged larger leaves went for 15 yuan per six. When asked if these were real Fragrant Hills red leaves, vendors frankly admitted, “Of course they’re from Fragrant Hills—we picked them ourselves.” According to one vendor, they easily sell five to six thousand sets per day during the festival.
Fragrant Hills Park staff explained that picking red leaves is prohibited, but due to the vast mountain area and limited personnel, illegal vendors exploit the loophole.
Industry insiders noted that while Fragrant Hills red leaves are stunning, some tourists’ uncivilized behavior mars the scenery. “There are many children among the visitors. Such behavior is not good for their development,” said local resident Xiao Liu. Fragrant Hills Park has also called on the public to visit civilly, restrain their actions, and preserve the beauty of the red leaves for everyone.