Beijing's sanitation workers cleared 47 tonnes of rubbish from Tiananmen Square during the eight-day national holiday that ended on Sunday, Xinhua reports. This was up 24.8 per cent from the holiday week last year, municipal officials said. Countless piles of rubbish were left behind by holidaymakers at scenic spots and highways across the country, sparking debate online about how to deal with the problem.
This year's Tour of Beijing bicycle race began yesterday with 148 top international cyclists, Xinhua reports. The five-day race, which debuted last year, is a professional competition overseen by the International Cycling Union and the first of its kind in Asia, as the Switzerland-based organisation tries to establish a more global presence. The Beijing race will feature some of the capital's most notable landmarks.