The Fragrant Hill Park is recruiting volunteers to embrace the upcoming Chongyang festival.

 

The Chongyang festival, which falls on the 9th day of the 9th month on the Chinese lunar calendar, is a festival for families to reunite and commemorate their ancestors. It has been a tradition among Chinese people to climb mountains and view their chrysanthemum blossoms on the day of the festival for nearly 2,000 years.

 

The Fragrant Hill, located in a western suburb of Beijing, is an especially hot place for climbing activities around Chongyang festival. But tons of trash left behind by irresponsible tourists has always been a problem. Last year, the Fragrant Hill saw some 45 tons of waste after Chongyang festival, a large percentage being items scattered around instead of being put into the park's trash bins.

 

The main job of the volunteers now being recruited will be to pick up trash and keep the park tidy and clean.

 

Chengwei, an organizer of the recruiting program, said that young people and college students will compose the bulk of volunteers. He hopes the program will arouse people's awareness of the need for environmental protection, as they pick up the trash left behind by mountain-climbers.

 

The program is ardently supported by people from all walks of life, especially college students.

 

"The Fragrant Hill is a great place for citizens to hike. Keeping it tidy and clean also supports the 2008 Olympics," a student from Peking University said.

 

(CRIENGLISH.com October 26, 2006)