As the weather gets far hotter and stuffier, the city of Harbin has begun an activity to encourage residential communities and organizations to care for sanitation workers, who have to toil under summer heat.

Free sour plum soup, tea, heatstroke prevention medicines, cool oil and fans are being offered in qingliang wu, or shade houses, where the city’s sanitation workers can take a break from the heat or bad weather days.

Currently, there are around 300 shady houses in the urban areas within Harbin city, thanks to the help of four residential communities and one store in Daoli district.

Sanitation workers take a break and drink sour plum soup at a shade house in Daoli district of Harbin on July 10. [Photo/MY399.COM]