Take Your Own Trash With You: Starting from the History of Hong Kong's Cleanliness Campaigns

During every long Chinese holiday, Hong Kong news is filled with reports of chaotic behavior by mainland tourists. The recent May Day holiday was dominated by the 'I Paid Money' guy. A TV station interviewed a mainland tourist who was fined for dumping food waste while camping at Sai Kung's Ham Tin Wan. When asked about the 'take your own trash with you' principle, the interviewee replied, 'I think it's ridiculous. Isn't it enough that I paid?' He then took a puff of his cigarette on camera, looking quite arrogant. There have been countless comments on the civic quality of Chinese tourists abroad, so I won't repeat them here. Instead, I want to explore why Hong Kong people are so repulsed by littering.