A dangerous job: collecting trash on a cliff

A 44-year-old Chinese street cleaner who's spent 14 years picking up trash from the cliff at the Golden Summit of Mount Emei, Sichuan province, was recently nominated as one of the "Good People of Sichuan" because of his devotion to the job.

Peng Wencai is the sole cleaner responsible for the Golden Summit and the guard rail of that area. He can often be seen dangling 3,079 meters above sea level to collect the litter. Peng begins work at 8:30 a.m. and heads home at 5:30 p.m. He goes down to the cliff three times a week if weather conditions permit.

When Peng first began work, he used only a safety rope that required dozens of people to pull him up and down. After being equipped with a professional climbing rope in 2008, he propels up and down with ease by himself.

It takes him three hours for each trip up and down. He's even traveled 200 meters deep into the cliff just to do his job. He goes down more than 80 times per year and clears around three tons of trash from the cliff.

"The tourists at this national day threw less trash than last year," he said.

Peng told reporters that once he advised a tourist against dropping trash down to the cliff but the tourist said coldly that if tourists do not throw trash he would lose his job. Peng said he was almost burst to tears hearing these words.

"I would rather lose my job if the tourists would not drop trash," said Peng.

Liu Shiming, the person in charge of the management of the Golden Summit said though Peng's dangerous cleaning scene shocked the visitors visually, the actual results are quite limited. "We have signs that remind tourists to be civilized during traveling, but still concrete regulations and punishments are needed."