Sanitation of Tian'anmen Square as a gauge of improved behavior

Keeping Tian'anmen Square clean is no easy feat, especially after 120,000 people packed onto the square located in the heart of Beijing on Saturday to witness the flag-raising ceremony and celebrate China's National Day. Zhang Zhiqiang, the commander-in-chief of sanitation for Tian'anmen Square, said sanitary workers cleaned up 0.94 tonne of garbage after tourists left the square on Saturday. The amount of garbage left on the square this year marked a "remarkable" change, compared to 20 tonnes of garbage left after last year's National Day and 40 tonnes on the same day in 2006. "It is obvious that visitors' sanitation behavior has improved," said Zhang, who has over 30 years of work experience in the sanitation industry. He said clamping down on illegal stalls near the square also contributed to Tian'anmen Square's sanitary environment. The sanitation authority prepared more than 600 mobile toilet facilities for the square in order to meet the needs of the large crowd that gathers on the National Day holiday. Saturday marked the 62nd founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China. President Hu Jintao led the country's senior leaders in placing flower baskets at the Monument to the People's Heroes on Tian'anmen Square.