Kayaking to pick up trash in Hoi An

The kayaking tour combined with trash picking on the Hoai River has been introduced by Hoi An Kayak Tourism Company (Hoi An City) to tourists since the beginning of 2017 to contribute to protecting Hoi An's living environment, especially is the lower Thu Bon River, where there is a mangrove coconut forest with a diverse ecosystem and is the buffer zone of the Cu Lao Cham biosphere reserve. Spending more than 10 USD (equivalent to 230,000 VND) and spending more than 4 hours in the sun to row a boat to collect trash on the river is a strange choice that many tourists have voluntarily participated in when coming to Hoi An recently. 

From being curious and surprised to see "paradoxical" things, Hoi An people have now become familiar with the sight of Western men and tourists "picking up trash" on the river every Saturday morning. The idea of ​​forming this strange tour came from Mr. Nguyen Van Long, representative of Hoi An Kayak Tourism Company. As a tour guide, he often takes tourists to visit Ha Long and participate in community tourism activities related to environmental protection. When he comes to Hoi An, he guides tourists around the city. walking on the river, or even walking, witnessing tourists repeatedly bending down to pick up trash and putting it in the bin, tourists covering their noses when they have to smell the foul smell, grimacing when they see trash floating on the river..., Mr. Long thought. Why not encourage tourists to visit and pick up trash together? 

Although it is not possible that the environment will be free of trash in a day or two, as the "rain soaks the ground", the small cooperation of tourists will influence and propagate to indigenous people and other tourists, from That minimizes actions and habits that negatively affect the environment. “And the boating tour to pick up trash on the river was born with the hope that through this activity, it will impact people's consciousness, helping people understand the meaning of protecting a clean environment and the harmful effects of waste. littering into the river," Mr. Long said. 

The tour guide said that participating tourists will depart at Thuan Tinh wharf (Cam Thanh commune, Hoi An), starting a journey of more than 8km, up Hoai River by kayak, through Hoi An market, along old town area. Tourists can row boats, explore the beautiful scenery on the river, chat with fishermen and by the way will pick up trash on the river and put it in trash bags on the boat to take it back to the gathering and sorting place. 

On each trip like that, besides the tourists, we also call on students to be volunteers to help pick up trash, support and propagate to people along the river that the boat passes through about trash classification. keep the environment clean, etc. Participants said that not all tourists are healthy and excited enough to follow the entire journey. Many tourists who went halfway had to turn back because they couldn't stand the heat and the smell from the garbage. 

The tourists who followed the entire journey were very enthusiastic in picking up all the items such as bottles, jars, styrofoam items, plastic bags... that they saw floating in the river. There are large garbage bags that are so heavy that they cannot be lifted. The tour guide will help tourists collect them and put them on the transport boat. After the trip, the amount of trash collected will be brought to the shore for the urban environment company in Hoi An City to transport and destroy. Contribute to propaganda without thinking about profit. 

At first, many people were curious and strange because they saw tourists having to spend money and pick up trash. But gradually, I realized that people living along the river also participated in rowing boats to pick up trash with tourists. Throughout the journey, volunteers and team members will give suggestions and propaganda so that people do not "carelessly" throw trash into the river.

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