Social media video reveals China’s tallest waterfall isn’t all that natural

Jun 6

Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer)

Touted as China’s “tallest uninterrupted waterfall,” the cascade may actually be a “water fail.” On Monday, June 3, controversy arose after a hiker posted a video from atop the tourist attraction at Yuntai Mountain Scenic Resort, which showed the waterfall being fed by man-made pipes. The Yuntai Mountain Waterfall clip has received millions of views on Chinese social media since the hiker posted it.

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Caught red-handed, the tourism park admitted on Tuesday, June 4, to installing the pipes to pump natural spring water into the falls, maintaining no environmental harm has been done by the using the water. The park claimed it pumped water into the falls because it didn’t want to disappoint visitors during the dry season.

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The park posted on the waterfall’s behalf in a statement on its website.

“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 every time you come to see me,” the statement said. “I made a small enhancement… so I would look my best to meet my friends.”

While the water may not be naturally flowing, reaction on social media is.

“It’s not respecting the natural order, and not respecting tourists,” a user said on Weibo.

Others were more willing to go with the flow.

“I think it’s a good thing to do,” another Weibo user said. “Otherwise, people would be disappointed if they end up seeing nothing there.”

Some wondered why the hiker was “chasing waterfalls” in the first place.

“Yuntai park: Does this person not have better things to do,” a user wrote.

The park did not say when the pipes were installed or how often they are used to feed the falls. However, it did promise tourists who visit during the wetter months in the summer would see the waterfall in its “magnificence in a perfect and most natural manner.”

According to the park, more than 7 million people visit each year from around the world. Yuntai Scenic Resort is one of 213 internationally certified as a UNESCO Global Geopark, which means that its geological features and cultural significance raise awareness about conservation.

UNESCO has not said whether or not the artificially fed waterfall jeopardizes the park’s certification.

Tags: China, People’s Republic of China, Wildlife

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

TOUTED AS CHINA’S “TALLEST UNINTERRUPTED WATERFALL”– THE CASCADE MAY ACTUALLY BE A “WATER FAIL.”

CONTROVERSY ERUPTED AFTER A HIKER POSTED A VIDEO TO SOCIAL MEDIA FROM ATOP THE TOURIST ATTRACTION EARLIER THIS WEEK.

SHOWING THE “UNINTERRUPTED” WATERFALL BEING FED BY MAN-MADE PIPES.

THE YUNTAI [UNE-TIE] MOUNTAIN WATERFALL CLIP HAS RECEIVED MILLIONS OF VIEWS.

CAUGHT RED-HANDED, THE TOURISM PARK ADMITTED TO INSTALLING THE PIPES TO PUMP IN NATURAL SPRING WATER.

CLAIMING THEY DIDN’T WANT TO DISAPPOINT VISITORS DURING THE DRY SEASON.

THE PARK EVEN POSTED ON BEHALF OF THE WATERFALL, WHICH READ:

“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.” ADDING, “I MADE A SMALL ENHANCEMENT…. SO I WOULD LOOK MY BEST TO MEET MY FRIENDS.”

WHILE THE WATER MAY NOT NATURALLY FLOW– SOCIAL MEDIA REACTION DID.

ONE PERSON SAYING, “IT’S NOT RESPECTING THE NATURAL ORDER, AND NOT RESPECTING TOURISTS.”

OTHERS WERE MORE WILLING TO GO WITH THE FLOW…

ONE USER POSTING, “I THINK IT’S A GOOD THING TO DO. OTHERWISE, PEOPLE WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IF THEY END UP SEEING NOTHING THERE.”

THE PARK DID NOT SAY WHEN THE PIPES WERE INSTALLED OR HOW OFTEN THEY’RE USED TO FEED THE FALLS.

BUT IT DID PROMISE TOURISTS WHO VISIT DURING WETTER MONTHS WOULD SEE ITS “MAGNIFICENCE IN A PERFECT AND THE MOST NATURAL MANNER.”

ACCORDING TO THE PARK, MORE THAN SEVEN MILLION PEOPLE VISIT EACH YEAR.

YUNTAI MOUNTAIN SCENIC RESORT IS ONE OF 213 INTERNATIONALLY CERTIFIED AS A UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK.

MEANING ITS GEOLOGICAL FEATURES AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT CONSERVATION.

UNESCO HAS NOT SAID WHETHER THE ARTIFICIALLY-FED WATERFALL JEOPARDIZES THAT STATUS.

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