China clears 50 tons of trash from 'Avatar'-inspired fairyland cave site

Officials in Cili County, Hunan Province, confirmed the presence of massive piles of domestic waste, wastewater, and livestock byproducts, some reaching up to seven or eight meters high, inside two formerly pristine caves within the park.

The environmental scandal gained public attention in mid-May after a video of the waste-filled caves went viral on Chinese social media, according to the South China Morning Post.

Authorities stated that local villagers had been using the caves as dumping grounds between 2010 and 2016, during a period when open-air garbage burning was banned, but formal waste collection services had yet to be implemented in the area.

The county's information office on Sunday announced that over 51 tons of waste had been cleared. Yangjiapo Cave has been mostly cleaned, but Datiankeng Cave remains under cleanup.

As reported by Sina, four local officials have been suspended pending an investigation into the mismanagement. All caves in the region are now under inspection.

The Zhangjiajie nature reserve, part of a broader scenic area designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, became internationally known after its towering pillar-like rock formations inspired the floating mountains in James Cameron's 2009 film "Avatar".

The area remains a symbol of national pride and a major tourist attraction.