China's Yuntai Waterfall, a popular tourist destination in the north-central Henan region, has sparked a controversy on social media after a hiker shared a video of a pipe feeding water to the famous falls. Later, the Yuntai Tourism Park's operators clarified that they had made the "small enhancement" during the dry season to give visitors a sense that their trip had been worthwhile, as per a report in the BBC.
A user took to Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, and shared a clip which showed a large pipe supplying water from the top of Yuntai Mountain Waterfall, which is known as the country’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall. “The one about how I went through all the hardship to the source of Yuntai Waterfall only to see a pipe,” reads the caption of the video posted by user Farisvov.
NEW: Chinese officials are forced to apologize after a hiker discovers a secret water pipe feeding China's tallest waterfall
Millions of tourists visit the 1,024-foot-tall Yuntai Mountain Waterfall annually, attracted by its ancient geological formations over a billion years old… pic.twitter.com/mw3u9NK1xN— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) June 6, 2024
After the video went viral, the phrase "the origin of Yuntai Waterfall is just some pipes" started to gain popularity on social media. It created such a stir that local government officials were sent to the park to look into it. Further, they instructed the park's operators to notify travellers of the enhancements. The water that was pumped into the falls was spring water, according to park officials who assured state media that it would not harm the natural landscape.
The park then shared a statement on behalf of the waterfall and said, "I didn't expect to meet everyone this way. As a seasonal scenery I can't guarantee that I will be in my most beautiful form everytime you come to see me.
"I made a small enhancement during the dry season only so I would look my best to meet my friends," they added.
Notably, the park's official website states that the surrounding geological formations, which date back more than a billion years, draw around 7 million Chinese and foreign visitors annually due to the park’s natural landscape.
Since being shared, the video has amassed a lot of reactions from social media users.
"This is like the most Chinese story we've ever read," said a user.
"This is wild. Tourists thought they were visiting a natural wonder, and turns out there are pipes feeding the waterfall," commented a person.
A third remarked, "Waterfalse"
“It’s now China’s tallest water feature!” said a user.
A person added, "'fake it till you make it' knows no limits"