Residents in a northern Chinese city have been caught swimming, bathing and doing their laundry in one of its famous protected springs, according to a newspaper report.
A dozen people were found swimming in Wangfu Pool in Jinan in Shandong province on Tuesday, while several others in swimming suits washed their clothes and bed sheets in the spring, the Jinan Daily reported. Others were also seen diving into the pool.
Wangfu Pool is one of the city’s 72 springs that are protected by the government, the report said.
Similar behaviour has been reported before at the springs, but widespread publicity has failed to rein in the abuses, according to the article.
The swimmers, mostly senior citizens, change their clothes in public as there are no changing rooms. Women use a cloak to cover themselves while changing, but the men take no precautions, the report said.