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Chinese tourists caught taking jewels from one of world’s most unusual beaches

By 0 and 0 and 0
18 July 2018

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Glass beach (Steklyannaya Bay) in Vladivostok. Picture: The Siberian Times

A video shows two Chinese women tourists at so-called Glass Bay picking up the sparkling jewels  and filling plastic bags.

The local woman who videoed the scene said: 'Bus after bus after bus comes here, and they all get back into their buses with bags full of glass.’

Chinese tourists caught stealing jewels from one of world’s most unusual beaches


Chinese tourists caught stealing jewels from one of world’s most unusual beaches


Chinese tourists caught stealing jewels from one of world’s most unusual beaches


Chinese tourists caught stealing jewels from one of world’s most unusual beaches


Chinese tourists caught stealing jewels from one of world’s most unusual beaches
Glass beach (Steklyannaya Bay) in Vladivostok. Picture: The Siberian Times


The unique beach is protected - but despite this the glass is vanishing and experts have already warned that it could vanish within 20 years. 

The unusual phenomenon on Russia’s Pacific coastline was formed after years of dumping old vodka, wine and beer bottles, along with jars and ceramics during the Soviet era. 

The tides and waves of Ussuri Bay pounded the glass, ridding it of dangerous jagged edges and shards, forming instead tiny smoothed, rounded and polished glassware in many colours. 

Ironically, it’s only hope of long term survival now would be more glass pollution - but this will not happen. Dumping is now forbidden

Chinese tourists caught stealing jewels from one of world’s most unusual beaches

Chinese tourists seen picking glass stones at the beach


The cliff-sided beach has become a major tourist attraction in Vladivostok.

Professor Pyotr Brovko, of the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), has warned that thebeach will vanish in about 20 years as the vivid glass remains are reduced to 'ordinary sand’.

‘It is evident that there is enough glass remaining for one generation - but later it will turn into a regular sand and pebbles bay, like many in Primorsky region.

'Today glass 'pebbles' are disappearing because of abrasion - as well as due to people taking glass as souvenirs.’

A 'huge number' of visitors come to the beach each summer, but there is 'low quality' care for the site 'which does not allow for optimism’.

Warnings are posted not to steal the glass - but many visitors can’t resist taking the colourful souvenirs, although not usually on the industrial scale as shown in the video.



Darya Guseva, director of the travel information centre of Primorsky region, said: 'It is a stunningly beautiful place surrounded by cliffs.

'We include it in the list of sights recommended for tourists.

'The bay is great for families.' 


Comments (9)

To Russia Man- One man's trash is another man's treasure! You should check out the number of sea glass collector groups and how many worldwide members are OBSESSED w/ sea glass. Check out how much 1 tiny pebble of rare colors sell for on eBay!
Laurel, San Francisco, USA
19/01/2021 13:11
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Do you see this guys ? This is how to keep women happy. Just give them some shiny beads.
Aqua Fyre, Australia
24/07/2018 22:26
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The beach glass is very beautiful but very sadly, the reality is that it is litter and we need to stop littering all around the world, period. If people want to pick up the glass, I would suggest they need to pick up every other piece of litter and be watched very carefully to make sure they are not leaving any litter. This applies all over the world. I am not trying to single out the people in this situation by any means.
Pamela K Tetarenko, League City, USA
23/07/2018 23:04
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This is beautiful! I am familiar with this, when I was a small boy my grandmother showed me these when we walked on the beach here in Los Angeles.Many years later I found a lot of these on the beach in Olas Altas, Mazatlan,Mexico after a big storm and nobody could believe what they were.They are truly an impressive thing!
David Baldwin, Azusa,California,USA
23/07/2018 07:59
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admiring a litter glass beach is like admiring a mountain of trash
Russian Man, Russia
23/07/2018 00:49
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man made glass on a beach is an abomination, its litter . let the chinese clean it all up .
Russian Man, Russia
22/07/2018 23:58
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besides filming and then putting the video on the net, did you do anything else?
Benedikt MORAK, Moscow
21/07/2018 01:30
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Glass dumped into the ocean turns into something beautiful. Plastic kills and there's no getting rid of it. This makes sense when you realize that glass started as sand and plastic came from oil and gas extraction.
FishOutofWater, Raleigh, North Carolina
19/07/2018 08:09
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I dont see a problem with people picking up old trash.
Michael Jackson, USD
19/07/2018 01:20
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