Mountain pressure

[Photo by Yang Feiyue/China Daily]

Given the increase in the number of visitors, tourism officials in Huangshan have taken additional measures to ensure the integrity of the local environment.

Fu Qiugui is carrying a big bundle of washed quilts on his back and tourists are moving aside to let him through.

"Clean bedclothes and food are needed at the mountain top," the 50-year-old says.

The bundle he carries weighs 75 kilograms, and would take him five hours on foot, or one hour by cableway, to transport depending on the day.

He normally carries dirty quilts on his way back down the mountain.

Usually, he earns about 200 yuan a day for his work.

Fu lives in a rural area near the scenic spot and has been working as a porter at Huangshan for 24 years.

The biggest challenge for him is the steep road and fickle weather conditions on the mountain.

"It's difficult to walk when it rains or snows," Fu says

But the plus side of his work are the flexible hours.

He usually works for 200 days a year, and returns home to plant or harvest tea during the farming seasons.

"And the income is OK," he says.

Fu's work is part of a larger effort to protect the environment of the scenic spot.

All the bed sheets and quilts have to be carried downhill and washed, before being sent up again. Fresh food is also washed before being delivered to the mountain.