Chinese tourists take wedding shots in Antarctica, penguins flee in fear
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Chinese tourists have now set their eyes on Antarctica, much to the chagrin of local inhabitants. A huge group of travelers from China recently landed in the South Pole to have wedding shots taken, unfortunately freaking out the penguins in the area just trying to get on with their lives.
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A Chinese photographer said the visitors displayed "uncivilized" behavior throughout their glacial photo shoot. Some members of the group were seen chasing the little creatures who in turn waddled off from the scene as fast as their feet would carry them.
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The number of Chinese tourists visiting the Antarctic region has increased more than any other nationality, and tour organizations have in recent years begun targeting wealthy Chinese tourists seeking an "extreme" getaway. Some visitors will fork out anywhere from 100,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan for a one- to two-week all-expense trip to the southernmost region of the world.
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However, some environmentalists fear that so much human activity could have an impact on native wildlife.
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Zhang Yifan, a freelance travel writer who toured Antarctica along with 200 mainland tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday last year, explained in an IB Times report that his group didn't behave differently than most of the visitors there. “I didn’t see anyone throwing rubbish or spitting. The only problem was that sometimes tourists got a bit closer to photograph animals than the tour guide had advised them.”