Vietnam’s Hue investigates clip of tourist boat staff dumping trash into iconic Perfume River
The tourism authority in Hue City, central Vietnam is probing a video circulating on social media that shows people aboard a tourist dragon boat throwing beer cans and plastic bottles into the iconic Huong (Perfume) River, sparking public outrage.
A screenshot from a video circulating on social media shows people aboard a dragon boat throwing beer cans and dumping trash into the Perfume River in Hue City, central Vietnam.
Tran Thi Hoai Tram, head of the Hue City Department of Tourism, on Monday confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper that the department is reviewing the footage and will handle the case according to regulations.
The clip shows a dragon boat docking near a pedestrian area where many people were strolling along the heritage river.
Several individuals believed to be crew members were seen cleaning up after tourists but casually tossing waste into the water in front of passers-by.
Many onlookers expressed disappointment and recorded the incident on their phones.
The video has drawn sharp criticism online, with many netizens saying the act undermines Hue’s image as a green, clean, bright heritage city.
Some have called for strict action against the boat operators and crew.
This is not the first time people aboard tourist dragon boats have been accused of dumping waste directly into the Perfume River, sparking public concern.
In 2020, the operators of two dragon boats were fined about VND8 million (US$305) after the boats were filmed scattering votive paper offerings into the river.
Minh Duy - Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre News