Grass removed after trampling by tourists

Maintenance workers at a park near the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, removed a vast carpet of pink grass on Monday after it was crushed by tourists over the weekend.

To ensure the healthy growth of the blossoms next year and protect the roots from further damage, "the sea of pink grass" in Hangzhou's Binjiang district, which became an online sensation, was cleared away only two weeks after coming into bloom.

"We have to harvest the trampled grassland in advance, otherwise Hangzhou locals won't be able to enjoy the pink scenery next year," a park worker surnamed Zheng said.

He said the garden authority was mulling the construction of paths in the area so that tourists would be able to take photos in future without damaging the plants.

The grassland, covering over 6,600 square meters, was planted with pink grass seeds in 2016, when Hangzhou hosted the G20 summit

"The seeds were imported from Australia, and I've been caring for the growth of this grass, but I never imagined they'd get demolished in just two to three days," Zheng said, tears welling in his eyes.

"To me, they are like my son and daughter. It's like witnessing my sons being beaten by barbarians, but I can do nothing to help."

Wang Pingping, an official with the Hangzhou Greening Management Station, told China Daily on Tuesday: "We called on residents and tourists to take pictures of the grassland in a civilized way. But right now, exhortation is the only way."

Hangzhou is not the only place in China that has witnessed such uncivilized behavior.

In Foshan, in southern China's Guangdong province, a garden featuring pink grass was forced to limit the number of tourists admitted to the area, the local Guangzhou Daily reported on Tuesday.