| Let Guan Yin Smile Again |
| By Huang Xiao-zhe and Cai Yu-xuan Compiled and translated by Tang Yau-yang Photos by Huang Xiao-zhe |
A handful of non-profit organizations in Taiwan, including Tzu Chi, worked together in April and May to clean up a heavily littered area near Yinghan Peak, on Mount Guanyin, northern Taiwan. About 750 people worked on April 23, 2017, the day after Earth Day, in a large-scale attempt to tackle the garbage there. The task turned out to be more than a day’s work, so a follow-up cleanup was conducted on May 21 when about 250 people gave it another go.
The place Yinghan Peak, at 616 meters (2,020 feet) above sea level, is the highest summit of Mount Guanyin. The peak used to be a training site for military police, from which its name is derived: Yinghan means “tough guy.” Mount Guanyin was named after the Bodhisattva of Compassion because the shape of the mountain is said to look like the reclining bodhisattva. Below the mountain, the Keelung River empties into the Tamsui River, which flows northwestward before emptying into the Taiwan Strait. The panoramic views of the greater Taipei area afforded by Yinghan Peak have long made it a popular hiking destination—perhaps too popular. The problem With people comes commerce, and with commerce comes garbage. There used to be vendors’ stands on Mount Guanyin selling food and beverages to hikers. Public environmental awareness back then was not as high as it is today. Some vendors and consumers did not properly dispose of their garbage. They simply tossed it down the slopes from Yinghan Peak. Week after week, year after year, new rubbish was dumped on top of old garbage. After a few decades, a particularly large dumping ground grew to be called “the garbage cascade.” Before we visited the mountain to report on the cleanup event, we had heard that infamous name, but we had never actually seen the reality.
Though we had been warned beforehand about that horrendous dump, nothing could have prepared us for the shock of the sight. It was just unbelievable. The site was completely covered by garbage of all kinds, the soil buried under layers upon layers of rubbish so deep that no grass could grow. The garbage had even interfered with tree roots, hindering their absorption of nutrients from the soil and stunting the normal growth of the trees. A very large percentage of garbage in the area consisted of disposable bowls and eating utensils, beverage containers, and plastic bags. Not only were these things an eyesore, but they were not biodegradable. If not removed, they would be there to damage the environment for many years to come.
The task The cleanup event was sponsored by the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration. A number of non-profit organizations in Taiwan, including Tzu Chi, took part. About 750 people pitched in on April 23, 2017, the day after Earth Day. The garbage to be cleaned up turned out to be more than a day’s work for them, so over 250 people tackled the site again at another cleanup event on May 21. The work would have been much easier if volunteers could have had a level field to stand on, but they didn’t. The garbage had been thrown down slopes, some rather steep. If this were not bad enough, it had rained for several days before the event, making the slopes slippery and even more difficult for the workers to navigate. The utmost care was required to ensure that one did not lose one’s balance, slide, or fall. Some volunteers secured themselves with ropes to avoid falling. That was not the only challenge the participants faced. A lot of old garbage was mixed with damp, sticky dirt, which had to be shaken off or removed before the garbage could be bagged. Furthermore, the place was engulfed by a foul smell that only trash could produce. All the challenges notwithstanding, the volunteers kept working, and they even picked out recyclables to lower the volume of garbage.
Carrying the weight of the years Removing the garbage from the area was an effort in and of itself. Yinghan Peak is accessible only by foot, so all the garbage that had been collected had to be carried down by the volunteers. It was about a 30-minute walk down from the summit. Each bag of garbage weighed between three and five kilograms (6.6–11 pounds). Some people formed a line and passed the bags from person to person down the mountain trails. Some made the entire trip down the mountain alone; they either held one bag in each hand, or carried bags on their backs, or used bamboo poles to carry the loads. No matter their method, everyone helped move the garbage down the mountain. The participants ranged in age from ten to over 90. Some hikers saw what the volunteers were doing and joined their effort on the spot. Together, they filled and removed 4,000 garbage bags. The mountain is much cleaner now, and the soil can finally see the light of day again. We salute those who helped in the event. But what is more important is for people not to litter—on the mountain or anywhere. Working together, we can keep the mountain and our whole environment clean and beautiful.
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