Tourists were punished and forced to apologise after they stepped into a spring barefooted at Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area in southern China.

Video filmed in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province on August 9 shows four women standing barefooted in the water taking photos.

Since the water has travertine inside and the travertine deposits less than 1 millimetre per year, the scenic area does not allow tourists to step into the water to damage it.

The four women had administrative punishments and they also apologised in writing.

The video was provided by local media with permission.

8月9日，四川阿坝，4名游客在九寨沟景区脱鞋进入水中拍照，景区回应已对当事游客行政处罚，四人以书面道歉信的形式进行了公开道歉。景区工作人员表示，从游客进入景区起，观光车、广播......就会循环播放：文明旅游，不要踩水，不要摘花，不要乱扔垃圾。这里真不是“九寨沟水上乐园”！
九寨沟的主要景观是水景钙华景观，钙华的沉积速度不到1毫米/年，人为的物体进入水体，会对钙华造成不可逆的破坏，并且无法自然修复。九寨沟的湖泊（海子）是贫营养水质，水体非常敏感。人为物体进入水体，将会使水体富营养化，这种破坏是非常巨大的。另外，九寨沟的水不能喝，水里矿物质严重超标，还有含有大量的重金属，所以不能直接饮用。 九寨沟是世界自然遗产，也是中国第一个以保护自然风景为主要目的的自然保护区，“九寨归来不看水”，如此美景是需要每一个人的呵护的。（视频由四川台提供）