By: Little Traveler
While society today promotes digital currency, the island of Little Liuqiu in Taiwan is going against the trend by issuing "beach currency."
However, to get this unique local currency, you can't just exchange money for it — you need to collect at least 2 kilograms of trash first.
The currency is made from blue and green fragments of broken glass bottles, featuring turtles in various forms and adorned with the ocean scenery of Little Liuqiu. It is launched in collaboration between the marine conservation-focused "Haiyong Workshop" and Penghu Management Office.
Little Liuqiu may be small, covering only 12 square kilometers, but it is home to 163 sea turtles, making it the island with the highest density of sea turtles in the world. However, with increasing visitors and ecological changes, the marine environment is starting to be affected. The project aims to highlight the current crisis facing the local ecosystem.
The plan is set to begin in July 2017. As long as you help clean the beach, every 2 kilograms of trash collected earns you one piece of currency, which can be used at 35 shops on the island.
If you want to help protect the little island, take action now and head there right away！
List of participating "beach currency" shops
Drifter’s Hostel, Xia Liu Homestay, Wan Zi Sea View Homestay, Liuqiu Fan Sushi, New Turtle Nest Homestay, Sea Turtle Pancake, Wave Bar Ice Lang Pub, Little Liuqiu Green Sea Turtle Diving, Nitro Drunk JoScubar Craft Beer, Tree Sprite, Happy Kitchen, Little Liuqiu BBQ King, Batard Creative Bar, Xingxiu Sea Sea View Homestay, Family Water Park Waterslide, Shanban Bay Homestay, Little Liuqiu My Favorite Cactus Smoothie, Tasty Specialty Homestay, Little Liuqiu Ice Cream Egg Waffle, Little Liuqiu Ghost Cave Fresh Frozen Fruit, Private Diving Instructor, Ocean Breeze Resort Hotel, Star Sea Homestay, South Island Canoe, Kabuton Beer, Terrace Ice Shop, Xin Yue BBQ, Yishun YSRT Electric Scooters Little Liuqiu, Little Liuqiu Go-Kart, Islanders Marine Culture Studio, Turtle’s Story.
Image source: Haiyong Workshop