Many trash on the trails of Yuelu Mountain
Gan Bei, a university student in Changsha, went hiking on Yuelu Mountain with classmates last weekend to enjoy the good weather. However, what she saw while “taking a shortcut and hiking on a small trail” stuck with her — “There are probably many hikers like me who want to take shortcuts and find their own way, but they leave behind a lot of trash.”
On the afternoon of October 30, a reporter followed the route provided by Gan Bei. Starting from the east entrance of Yuelu Mountain and walking uphill for about 20 minutes, they passed the first rest corridor. A few dozen meters further ahead, a small trail entrance could be found on the right. Climbing up and heading inside, there was a winding dirt path littered not only with fallen leaves but also with conspicuous plastic packaging. Milk cartons, candy wrappers, betel nut bags, and various snack packages were the main types of trash, along with drink bottles and disposable food containers.
The reporter then contacted the relevant person in charge of the office at the Yuelu Mountain Scenic Area Management Committee. The official stated that they had not yet received any complaints from visitors regarding this trail, but they would immediately arrange for staff to investigate the situation.
The official explained that due to the large area of the mountain and concerns for the safety of cleaning staff, areas that were previously unvisited were not required to be cleaned daily. However, once trails with relatively high visitor traffic are identified, cleaning personnel are scheduled for regular maintenance. At the same time, he called on hikers to pay attention to safety while exploring lesser-known paths and to avoid littering.