Plagues of Chinese tourists caught taking jewels from one of world’s most unusual beaches
Over decades nature turned coloured glass bottles dumped in the sea into a magical tourist attraction - now suddenly under threat, due to a plague of Chinese robber tourists.
Glass beach (Steklyannaya Bay) in Vladivostok. Picture: The Siberian Times
A video shows two Chinese women tourists at so-called Glass Bay picking up the sparkling jewels and feverishly filling plastic bags.
The local woman who videoed the scene said: 'Bus after bus after bus after bus loaded with the Chinese only here to rape this beach, get back into their buses and off they go with bags full of glass.’ In two years this beach will be void of anymore pieces at this rate.
Glass beach (Steklyannaya Bay) in Vladivostok. Picture: The Siberian Times
The unique beach is protected - but despite this the glass is vanishing and experts have already warned that it could vanish within 20 years due to this Chinese invasion as they have no respect for others apparently.
The unusual phenomenon on Russia’s Pacific coastline was formed after years of dumping old vodka, wine and beer bottles, along with jars and ceramics during the Soviet era.
The tides and waves of Ussuri Bay pounded the glass, ridding it of dangerous jagged edges and shards, forming instead tiny smoothed, rounded and polished glassware in many colours.
Ironically, it’s only hope of long term survival now would be more glass thrown - but this will not happen. Dumping is now forbidden
Chinese tourists seen feverishly scavenging glass stones at the beach
The cliff-sided beach has become a major tourist attraction in Vladivostok.
Professor Pyotr Brovko, of the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), has warned that the beach will vanish in about 20 years as the vivid glass remains are reduced to 'ordinary sand’.
‘It is evident that there is enough glass remaining for one generation - but later it will turn into a regular sand and pebbles bay, like many in Primorsky region.
'Today glass 'pebbles' are disappearing due to Chinese tourists raping the beach, taking glass as souvenirs.’
A 'huge number' of these Chinese visitors come to the beach each summer, but there is 'low quality' care for the site 'which does not allow for optimism’.
Warnings are posted not to steal the glass - but Chinese ''visitors' can’t resist taking the colourful souvenirs, 'on the industrial scale as shown in the video.
Darya Guseva, director of the travel information centre of Primorsky region, said: 'It is a stunningly beautiful place surrounded by cliffs.