Visitors ride camels to Mingsha Mountain in Dunhuang, Gansu province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The scenic Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring in Dunhuang, Gansu province has started an innovative measure for environmental protection.

As per the initiative named "Exchange garbage for gifts", whoever visits the tourist attraction can get a garbage bag from the staff at the site, collect the trash, including theirs, and then redeem the trash for souvenirs such as key chains, cardholders and fridge magnets for free.

The program launched on July 11 has been gaining momentum and getting a big thumbs-up from the visitors as well as sanitation workers. Moreover, the program began at the right time in July, being the month of the beginning of summer vacation and a peak period for travel. The popular attraction receives more than 30,000 tourists daily, and great effort is needed to maintain the serenity of the spot.

Mingsha Mountain, meaning Echo Sand Mountain in English, and the Crescent Spring, a crescent-shaped lake surrounded by giant sand dunes, are popular among tourists from home and abroad. The visitors can ride camels, climb the sand mountain and slide down, while enjoying the unique oasis and natural scenery.

However, as the sand is soft, it is impossible to install garbage cans on the mountain, and it poses a big challenge to the garbage cleaners at the site. With the number of tourists booming, the workload of sanitation workers became heavy, according to Qiu Shuai, property manager of the attraction.

"We have more visitors compared to previous years, and some of them accidentally leave trash on the mountain. This puts a lot of pressure on our cleaning staff, especially because the mountain is sandy, making it difficult to walk. We have assigned cleaning personnel to pick up trash halfway up the mountain or at the mountaintop, but our efforts are far from sufficient," he said.

"Therefore, we are appealing to everyone to take action together. While going up or down the mountain, please pick up any trash you see, including your own, put it in plastic bags, and bring it down the mountain. In exchange, we will give you a beautiful gift from the scenic area. This exchange of gifts is not only a way to thank visitors but also a form of remembrance. Taking these gifts home will help you recall the moment you spent here," he added.

The nonprofit activity begins at 8:30 pm every day, and one hour later, tourists can exchange gifts. It's expected to last till mid-October when the flow of tourists dwindles.

Qiu added that although giving the souvenirs away for free involves some cost, "it is negligible in terms of the value given to environmental protection in the scenic area".

Wu Jianzhong, a member of the cleaning crew, said he feels happy seeing a lot of tourists voluntarily picking up trash after the activity kicked off, which has largely helped in his work.

"In the past, the entire mountain was littered with water bottles, plastic bags and tissues. And sometimes, we would have to work from 6:30 am to midnight," he said. "The most challenging task is to collect tissues. Sometimes they get buried in the sand, so we have to use special tools to scoop them out. Also, a worker can carry down at the most two bags of garbage from the mountain top each time."

"Thankfully, there is hardly any garbage left now. Making it clean is what makes it beautiful," he added.

Besides garbage, Wu and his colleagues also search for cellphones, watches and other valuables tourists accidentally lose in the sand.

Yang Lu, a tourist from Tianjin, gave a thumbs-up to the activity. "It teaches children that they should not litter, and garbage should not be thrown around randomly. It should be disposed of in the right place. Everyone should protect the environment so that our society can become healthier," she said, adding that she had a great time at the attraction with her child.

The scenic spot has been hosting an evening concert every night and welcoming tourists to join in the singing, which has attracted a lot of people.

From Jan 1 to July 18, it received more than 1.73 million tourist visits, up 31.98 percent year-on-year.

Contact the writers at chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn