Mawlynnong, Asia’s cleanest village, wrestles with its own fame

Mawlynnong’s reputation as Asia’s cleanest village — earned through a generation of community-led tidiness, bamboo dustbins and a strict no-plastic rule — has made it a pilgrimage site for tourists.

The village council now runs a rotating roster of volunteers who sweep the lanes twice daily, while a visitor fee funds maintenance.

Elders worry about the balance: ‘We cleaned our village for ourselves,’ one said. ‘The world came because it was clean. We must keep it clean for the world — but not lose ourselves.’