Tourists create most litter, discarding bottles, plastic bags and paper scraps.[Photo by Chen Tuanjie/ For China Daily]

A worker sweeps the narrow lane snaking along Mount Huashan, in Shaanxi province. The cleaners stay on the mountain when they are working. Some stay in mountain caves or in temples, as there is not enough alternative accommodation on the mountain. Every year, the team of cleaners picks up about 180 tons of waste, which they carry down the mountain on their shoulders. The cleaners also occasionally help tourists, who are injured, or talk down those who are contemplating suicide. In 2011, the cleaners dissuaded 46 people from jumping off the cliffs. [Photo by Chen Tuanjie/ For China Daily]