- China’s Yuntai Waterfall controversy over pipe water source
- Video reveals water flow via conduit
- Sparks social media outrage, official investigation
A controversy surrounding a waterfall in China has triggered a social media storm, which has even prompted an explanation from the water body.
A hiker uploaded a video demonstrating that the water flowing from Yuntai Mountain Waterfall, which is touted as China’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall, was sourced from a conduit affixed to the rock face.
Since its initial posting on Monday, the film has garnered over 70,000 likes.
The Yuntai tourism park operators implemented the “small enhancement” during the dry season to ensure that visitors perceived their journey as noteworthy.
The caption of the video posted by user “Farisvov” reads, “The one about how I went through all the hardship to the source of Yuntai Waterfall only to see a pipe.”
The topic “the origin of Yuntai Waterfall is just some pipes” became a trend on social media.
It generated such a furor that local government officials were dispatched to the park to conduct an investigation. The video garnered over 14 million views on Weibo and nearly 10 million views on Douyin.
CCTV, the state broadcaster, requested that the operators apply the lessons learned from the incident and provide travellers with a preemptive explanation of the improvements.
“A small amount of assistance for my friends”
The park subsequently expressed gratitude for the waterfall, stating, “I was not anticipating the opportunity to interact with everyone in this manner.”
I cannot guarantee that I will be in my most attractive state at every visit, as I am a seasonal scenery.
I only made a minor improvement during the dry season to ensure I looked my best when I met my companions.
The 312-meter Yuntai Falls are situated within the Yuntai Mountain Geopark, a UNESCO Global Geopark, in central Henan province.
The destination attracts millions of visitors annually with geological formations that have existed for over one billion years.
CCTV was informed by park officials that the water used to send water into the falls was spring water and would not harm the natural landscape.
A significant number of social media users perceived the situation as comprehensible.
A comment on Douyin that was liked nearly 40,000 times read, “Yuntai park: Does this person not have better things to do?”
“I believe it is a wise course of action.” A user on Weibo expressed disappointment if they discovered nothing to see.
However, there is also criticism.
A Weibo user stated, “It is not respectful of the natural order, and it is not respectful of the tourists.”
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Another user commented on Douyin, “How could it be referred to as the No. 1 waterfall anymore?”
This is not the first instance in which artificial measures have been employed to “assist” renowned cascades in China.
Since 2006, Huangguoshu Waterfall, a renowned tourism destination in the southwestern Guizhou province, has been supported by a water diversion project from a nearby dam to ensure its flow during the dry season.
