AP Photo
Algae Woes Hit China’s Olympic Sailing Host City
Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press
30 June 2008
To host the Olympic sailing events, the Chinese port city of Qingdao moved a massive boat yard, relocated industries and spent about $850 million on transport links, parks, pollution controls and coastal green belts.
But with little more than a month to go until the Games, a different challenge is cropping up: A forest of blue-green algae is choking the coastal waters, suffocating beaches and lying in thick layers along sailing routes.
My sister-in-law related this news story to me yesterday evening. She was reading news on her laptop and casually mentioned it to me. I replied, “I bet they’ll just deploy a few thousand local workers to pluck the algae from the water by hand.” She laughed, not really believing me. Then she read the rest of the story:
City officials say they’ll need at least two weeks to clear coastal waters, mobilizing 10,000 workers aboard 1,000 boats. It wasn’t clear how they planned to block other algae from drifting in.
That’s just the way things get done in China. Need a mountain moved to make way for an industrial park? No problem, we’ll get a few thousand migrant workers out there with shovels. Manpower is never an issue.
I live in Shandong Province, where Qingdao is located. We’re about three hours south. Qingdao is actually a very nice city. I have never seen algal blooms there before. While I’m not crazy about the idea of entering any body of water in China, Qingdao does have nice beaches for strolling and people-watching. The seaside is lined with big, colonial style houses, some of which have been converted into hotels and cafes. Qingdao is home to Tsing Tao beer – one of China’s best exports and our local favorite. The Germans occupied the city and left an indelible mark – both on the beer and the architecture. I had thought that the sailing events in Qingdao, with its relatively clean air and water, would have been a highlight of the games. Hmmm. Not so sure now. I do hope, however, that the problem can be resolved.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Yipie now the “nany” is sleeping!
I am gonna try to get you a real pic! form the NZ one
Did we say algae
http://news.163.com/special/00012G9I/qingdaoxutai.html
That is crazy!!! and gross!! I bet it STINKS!!!
It amazes me that with the billions of RMB that Qingdao has spent on upgrading parts of the city and some of its infrastructures, that it still retains one of the worst rubbish collection systems in China – if not the world! The stink of rotting rubbish and active bacteria pervades the streets and any visitors to this otherwise fine wee fishing port will be offended and if not dry retching will have an everlasting but unpleasant memory of the Olympic event to be held here in less than one month.
If by chance you are unlucky enough to follow one of the many leaking rubbish trucks that deposit puddles of greenish grey stinking bacteria onto the streets and footpaths or the never cleaned rubbish bins – then hopefully its in winter as the summer heat and humidty will have you wishing you hadnt eaten for a few hours!!
Why cant they get it right!!
Hi Nick, obviously I feel your frustration. I’ve documented a smelly trash lined drainage ditch that lies close to my former apartment here on the blog and I am continually astonished/disgusted by trash and littering here in Linyi/various other Chinese cities.
On my return from vacation, I found that the neighborhood rubbish bins were overflowing with foul garbage. The smell was overwhelming and really horrid. Thank god they have finally been emptied, but they have left a swamp of putrid fluid behind all around the cans that is possibly the most vile thing ever.
I’ll never get it either. I hope that Qingdao has been spruced up, although I admit I’ve encountered some pretty nasty trash in lots of countries – Costa Rica, although a lively 2nd world country, was full of some particularly gag-inducing funk puddles.