Last week a large mass of water hyacinth, a free-floating aquatic plant, covered the surface of The Pearl River from the Pazhou Bridge to Haiyin Bridge, one day after the swim across the Pearl River event on July 16. The green, fast-reproducing plants accumulated quickly at the river paths, causing nearby ships to go on alert.

Water hyacinth near Ersha Island (GuangZhou Daily)

According to deputy director of the Guangzhou Water Environmental Management Department, Zhi Wenguang, water hyacinths have gained notoriety for their ability to amass astonishingly fast during summer and rainy months. The hyacinths have now been pushed downstream. However, they have not reached the sea and still block areas of the waterway.

The department has begun to clean-up the water hyacinth, dispatching 101 ships and 429 workers for the job. To ensure the safety of workers, nobody works at night or during the heavy rains. The cleanup is expected to be completed in 3 weeks.

Despite hyacinth becoming an obvious hazard for shipping, they also do great environmental damage as they kill other aquatic plants and animals.