Hiking with clean-up duty reshapes weekend outdoor activities in Beijing

A form of hiking combined with volunteer clean-up efforts called plogging is becoming increasingly popular in Beijing's Western Hills, reshaping weekend outdoor activities, an event organizer said.

On a recent weekend, dozens of participants joined a mountain clean-up event. Among them was 12-year-old Lele, who took part alongside his mother, Qi Ji. As they carefully picked up litter along the trail, Qi said the experience had changed her son's awareness of the environment, saying that he now notices waste more quickly and shares his experiences with classmates.

The event also brought unexpected encounters. Tian Tian, a doctor from Beijing Chaoyang Hospital's nutrition department, met a former patient during the clean-up.

Organizer Zheng Jiajia said participation has been growing steadily, with many people joining through friends and social networks.

By the end of the morning, bags of collected waste lined sections of the trail, while hikers and runners passing by offered words of encouragement to the volunteers.