What's at the top of Asia's tallest waterfall? A water pipe
Don't go chasing waterfalls, sang the American pop group of the 1990s TLC.
Visitors to the Tiantai waterfall in Yuntai Mountain in China's Henan province should have heeded the advice and saved themselves a disappointment.
In a video shared on China's TikTok-equivalent platform Douyin, netizen Farisvov shared a video showing water gushing out of a pipe at the top of the waterfall.
The Tiantai waterfall is the tallest waterfall in Asia with a single-level drop of 314 metres.
"The Yuntai Mountain waterfall is a natural landscape feature but, as a seasonal attraction, in order to ensure that tourists do not go away disappointed, the water pipes are just a small enhancement measure during the dry season," explained the authorities presiding over the tourist attraction.
While the widely-circulated video that was shared on June 3 raised doubts among many netizens who question the authenticity of the waterfall, there are others who jumped to the authorities' defence.
"When there is no water, you say you come here for nothing. When there is water, you say it's fake. In the north, the amount of water is generally very small during the dry season. This is done to give tourists a pleasant experience," read a comment.
Another netizen explained: "Yuntai Mountain Waterfall was not like this before. It was indeed a natural water source with spectacular and beautiful scenery.
"The reason it needs a water pump is that the upstream location of the waterfall belongs to Shanxi while the downstream location belongs to Henan. The two provinces have never been able to reach a consensus due to the division of scenic spots, so Shanxi built a reservoir to cut off the water flow."
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