Park officials said the water pumped to the falls was spring-fed.
Yuntai Waterfall, a popular tourist destination in the north-central province of Henan, sparked controversy on social media after a hiker shared a video of the pipes that supply water to the famous falls. The operator of Yuntai Tourist Park later clarified that the “minor improvements” were made during the dry season to make tourists feel the trip was worthwhile, China News reported. BBC.
A user shared a video on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, showing a large pipe that supplies water from the top of Yuntai Mountain Waterfall, known as the tallest continuous waterfall in China. “A video showing the struggle to reach the source of Yuntai Waterfall only to see a pipe,” reads the caption of the video posted by user Farisvov.
NEWS: Chinese officials forced to apologize after hikers discover secret water pipe supplying China’s tallest waterfall
Fascinated by ancient geological formations that date back more than a billion years, millions of tourists visit the 1,024-foot-high Yuntai Mountain Waterfall every year… pic.twitter.com/mw3u9NK1xN
— Unlimited L (@unlimited_ls) June 6, 2024
After the video went viral, the phrase “Yuntai Waterfall originates from just a pipe” began to gain popularity on social media. This caused a huge uproar, with local government officials being sent to the park to investigate, and instructing the park operator to notify tourists about the renovations. The water pumped into the waterfall comes from a spring, and park officials assured state media that the natural scenery would not be damaged.
The park later released a statement on behalf of the falls, saying, “We never expected to see you all like this. The scenery is seasonal and we can’t guarantee it will look its most beautiful every time you visit.”
“They’ve had some minor cosmetic work done so they can look their best when meeting friends during the dry season,” they added.
Remarkably, the park’s official website states that the surrounding geological formations, which are more than one billion years old, attract around seven million Chinese and foreign tourists every year for the park’s natural scenery.
Since being shared, the video has garnered numerous reactions from social media users.
“This is the most Chinese story we’ve ever read,” one user said.
“This is amazing. Tourists thought they were visiting a natural wonder but it turns out there’s just a pipe supplying water to the waterfall,” one person commented.
“Waterphallus,” a third commented.
“This is now the tallest fountain in China!” said one user.
“There’s no limit to ‘fake it till you make it,'” one person added.
