A customer secretly took 14kg of pebbles in Co To, but surprisingly returned them after nearly 10 years.

(Dan Tri) - After many times taking pebbles from Co To (Quang Ninh province) to bring home, a tourist unexpectedly sent back 14kg of stones in the hope of protecting the wild beauty of this famous place.

While working at the agency headquarters, Mr. Nguyen Hai Linh, Head of the Department of Culture and Society , People's Committee of Co To Special Zone (Quang Ninh province), received a call from a shipper informing him that there was a 14kg package containing cobblestones delivered from Ha Long ward.

The man was surprised, because he had not ordered online before. Looking at the words on the box, he guessed that the stones were taken by tourists from Mong Rong beach.

The stones were delivered with a letter (Photo: Character provided).

The sender's name is VN (living in Quang Ninh province). Inside the box, in addition to 14 stones, there is also a letter and 100,000 VND - used to pay for shipping costs.

According to the letter, the sender had visited Co To many times between 2015 and 2018. Out of curiosity and fascination with the beauty of the rock beach, he secretly took some rocks to display.

"Through information on the media, especially when reading articles about young people on the island struggling to rebuild the rare coral population on the island, I feel that my previous actions have damaged the pristine and pure beauty of this island.

“I am writing this letter to sincerely apologize to the people of Co To Island and to return the stones I brought back. I hope these stones will be returned to the correct rock beach on the island, restoring the beauty of this place,” the letter read.

Mr. Linh was very touched by the tourists’ actions. Many people had taken the stones home, but not everyone returned them.

"The spread of the story will be meaningful in the propaganda of environmental protection. Mr. VN's actions have touched the hearts of tourists ," said the Head of the Cultural and Social Department of Co To Special Zone.

Recently, in response to the situation of tourists taking rocks from Mong Rong beach to bring home, authorities have put up warning signs to raise awareness in protecting the environment.

After receiving the package, the authorities of the Special Zone will place the pebbles back at Mong Rong beach.

Photo of Mr. Nguyen Hai Linh taken at Mong Rong beach (Photo: Character provided).

It is known that Mong Rong rock beach is located in the south of Co To island, in area 4, Co To special zone. Every year, there are 150,000 to 200,000 visitors to this place.

Previously, the rock beach was called Cau Mi. Because the shape of this area, seen from above, has 5 rock outcrops like dragon's feet, it was named Dragon's Claw.

"This is the most beautiful place to watch the sunrise on the island with very strong waves and is also a majestic place to take photos. The rocks in Mong Rong have undergone millions of years of erosion, and are mainly round and oval in shape, so visitors like to bring them home as souvenirs or decorations," said Mr. Linh.

Mong Rong Rock Beach is about 1-1.5km from the center of Co To Special Zone. Visitors can travel here by electric car or motorbike.

Since the beginning of the year, Co To has welcomed nearly 350,000 visitors, an increase of 13% over the same period last year.

Currently, Co To has about 280 accommodation establishments with 3,200 rooms, capable of receiving up to 10,000 guests/day. In recent times, the number of foreign visitors to Co To has increased significantly because the environment is increasingly green, clean and beautiful.

According to the Head of the Department of Culture and Society of Co To Special Zone, the Party Committee has issued a Resolution related to the development of blue sea economy and sustainable tourism, associated with biodiversity conservation.

Wild image at Mong Rong beach (Photo: Character provided).

The special zone has also launched a campaign to “say no to plastic waste”, advising visitors not to bring plastic bags and single-use plastic items onto the island. Currently, 50 out of 280 accommodation establishments use glass water bottles instead of single-use plastic bottles.

Previously, a similar incident occurred in Hualien City, Taiwan (China) in December 2021.

Mr. Ngo Khanh Trien, the team leader of the cleaning team that cleans Qixingtan beach in Hualien city, unexpectedly received a strange package. Inside was a pebble and a handwritten letter.

The handwritten letter was very brief with the content: "This is a pebble from Qixingtan beach. In November 2021, I came here for a trip and saw the pebble so I picked it up as a souvenir. But now that I think about it, I want to return it to its original owner. I sincerely apologize."

Inside the box were only the two items mentioned above and nothing else. The letter also had no name or address of the sender.

According to Mr. Ngo, the customer may have felt regretful after bringing the pebble home and decided to return it to its original place.

Impressive natural scenery in Co To (Photo: Character provided).

However, taking these items can create many unimaginable consequences. Mr. Joseph Earl, an expert in the field of environment at Lancaster University (UK), said that removing pebbles from the beach can disrupt the natural sorting process, as well as disrupt the overall balance of the sea.

Scientists have proven that beaches with lots of gravel and sediment will have the ability to absorb ocean waves better. It is likened to a natural shield against flooding and erosion. This shield plays an important role in absorbing and dissipating wave energy, reducing the risk of waves overflowing the beach, causing shore erosion.

Likewise, visitors should not remove seashells from the beach. These are important components of coastal ecosystems, with many organisms relying on them for survival. They are also a source of calcium carbonate, which can dissolve in seawater and be recycled back into the ocean.

"One individual picking up a few rocks from the beach may not have a serious impact, but many people doing the same thing is a different story," expert Earl emphasized.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/tung-len-lay-14kg-da-cuoi-o-co-to-khach-bat-ngo-gui-tra-lai-sau-gan-10-nam-20250912114451572.htm