Chinese waterfall goes viral after clip reveals secret "enhancement"
Yuntai Mountain Park, China - A viral video appearing to show one of China's most iconic waterfalls being artificially pumped through a pipe is making a splash on social media.
The Yuntai Waterfall is one of China's most extraordinary sights, a massive cascade of falling water that drops more than 1,000 feet down the side of a vertical cliff. It draws thousands of tourists every single year.
But the popular attraction is now getting some unwanted attention, due to a video taken from the top of the waterfall that seemed to show it being pumped out into the gully through a man-made pipe.
The video, which has wracked up more than 14 million views on Chinese social media platform Weibo, was taken from a drone on Tuesday and showed large water pipes expelling immense quantities of water.
It turns out that the Yuntai Waterfall has suffered in recent dry seasons, leading to far less water naturally flowing out of the waterfall. As a result, local authorities decided to give it a boost.
CNN reported that Yuntai Mountain Park's management on Tuesday responded to speculation surrounding the video, explaining that the pipe was necessary to keep the water flowing.
According to the park's management, the Yuntai Waterfall "cannot guarantee to meet the public in its most beautiful appearance due to season changes." As a result, it has to undergo "a tiny improvement during dry season."
What's behind the Yuntai Waterfall video?
As the effects of climate change continue to worsen, these kinds of solutions may become increasingly necessary.
A study from the University of Leeds revealed on February 29 that climate change is "disrupting the seasonal flow of rivers," seriously threatening global ecosystems.
The study's lead author, Hong Wang, told Science Daily that rising air temperature was a large part of the phenomenon, and that this will "fundamentally" alter "the natural patterns of river flow."
"The concerning aspect of this change is the observed weakening of river flow seasonality, and that this is as a direct consequence of historical human-induced emissions," she said. "This signals a sustained and considerable diminishment of river flow seasonality if air temperatures continue to rise."
The Guardian cited a spokesperson from Yuntai Mountain Parkthat, who said: "In order to enrich your visiting experience and make your visit worthwhile, I made a small enhancement during the dry season, just to meet you in a better posture."
Cover photo: Collage: Unsplash/Blake Verdoorn & Screenshot/X/@shanghaidaily