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    Dameisha, which attracts tourists from around the country, is a name card for the city. Many expats choose to live in Meisha area for its beautiful beach, good atmosphere and good air quality.

    Craig Anderson, who has lived in Meisha for three years, is a stunt show performer at OCT East. Anderson co-organized and actively participated in the cleanup, which he thought was a success since such a large group of people came together quickly and cleaned up such a long-neglected area.

    The main goal of the event was to raise awareness among people that if they properly disposed of their garbage in the first place then they could keep the beaches and coastlines cleaner, according to Michael Standaert, the initiator, a journalist with Bloomberg BNA who has lived in Shenzhen since mid-2010.

    “A lot of the garbage is potentially damaging to animal and plant life in the ocean, to coral reefs and other ecosystems. There was a huge amount of small polystyrene pieces that could choke fish, birds and other animals. Plastic bags, plastic strings and the like could get wrapped around birds and fish and other animals,” said Standaert.

    “Shenzhen is my home, at least for now, so helping to make it a better place, even in a small way like this, is something I hope I can continue to do,” said Standaert, who hopes to do this again next year along the coasts of Depeng Peninsula with more sponsors and volunteers.