--- title: "Hiker Alarmed to Find Pipe Feeding China’s Tallest Waterfall" description: "A video making its rounds in China unmasks a hidden pipe feeding what is claimed to be the country's tallest, uninterrupted waterfall." date: "2024-06-08" modified: "2024-06-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/hiker-alarmed-pipe-feeding-china-tallest-waterfall" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "china" - "the digest" - "waterfall" --- # Hiker Alarmed to Find Pipe Feeding China’s Tallest Waterfall ![A video making its rounds in China unmasks a hidden pipe feeding what is claimed to be the country's tallest, uninterrupted waterfall.]() *\Image: Douyin / Futurism\* ## Gravity Falls A [video]() making the rounds on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, unmasks a hidden pipe feeding what's claimed to be the country's tallest uninterrupted waterfall — an engineering trick seemingly designed to put on a show for visitors. The clip, shared by a local hiker, shows a concrete-clad pipe pumping out copious amounts of water at the top of a tall cliff face. Now that the cat's out of the bag, officials at the Yuntai tourism park are in damage control mode, as the [*BBC* reports](), conceding that they had made a "small enhancement" to keep the Yuntain Mountain Waterfall running during the dry season — a bizarre and arguably unethical fudging of what's meant to be a beautiful and entirely natural scene. "I didn't expect to meet everyone this way," the park later wrote in a post, writing on behalf of the waterfall, as translated by the *BBC*. "As a seasonal scenery I can't guarantee that I will be in my most beautiful form every time you come to see me." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP6ltRxOhjk ## Pipe Dream The 1,030-foot waterfall is located in the Yuntai Mountain Geopark in China's central Henan province, where it's visited by millions of travelers each year. It's not the only waterfall to get a little encouragement during the dry season. As [*CNN* reports](), the Huangguoshu Waterfall in southwest China is being propped up by a dam, allowing it to continue its flow year-round. Users on China's Weibo social media platform were divided after the hiker revealed the pipe feeding the Yuntai Falls. "The move does not respect the laws of nature nor the visitors," one user [wrote](). "The main thing is that the water pipe is so crudely installed, others at least disguise it in a superior way," another added. Others were willing to give park operators a pass. "I think it's a good thing to do," one Weibo user argued. "Otherwise people would be disappointed if they end up seeing nothing there." **More on waterfalls:** *[Spectators Find a Waterfall That Flows Upward in England]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()