Yuntai Mountain Waterfall revealed to be sourced by pipe in social media video

A viral video found China's tallest waterfall was bolstered by pipes channeling spring water over the top of the cliff. Photo / Gary Todd via Wikicommons

A waterfall in China has prompted major controversy after a hiker mistakenly discovered the natural feature wasn’t quite so natural.

Yuntai Mountain Waterfall has been trending on social media this week after a hiker posted a video from the top of what is described as the tallest uninterrupted waterfall in China.

The footage, posted to Douyin, revealed a large metal pipe stuck at the top, channelling water over the top of the cliff.

“I went to the source of Yuntai Waterfall only to see a water pipe after all the hardships.” The translation of the video caption suggests the hiker felt their climb had been worthless after realising the waterfall was manmade.

Since it was shared on Monday, the video has been liked more than 74,000 times. The topic of Yuntai Waterfall’s pipe has been viewed 10 million times on Douyin and 14 million times on China’s largest social media platform, Weibo.

As a result, government officials went to Yuntai Mountain Geopark to investigate the incident, BBC reported.

On June 3, in Yuntai Mountain, Henan, China, a man climbed up the Yuntai Mountain waterfall to explore its end and discovered that the source was actually a few water pipes. pic.twitter.com/wOkldRnnRp

— Li Jianping (@cz8921469_z) June 5, 2024

Park operators said the “small enhancement” was made to prevent visitors from feeling disappointed when they came during the dry season.

“I didn’t expect to meet everyone this way,” the park posted from the point of view of the waterfall, BBC reported.

“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 post continued, adding it had been enhanced to look its best. Operators clarified that the water was spring water and did not damage the environment.

However, the person who posted the original video said they were disappointed by realising the 321m drop of natural water wasn’t natural.

In the comments, one person claimed the upstream is blocked, which means water no longer flows down to the waterfall. Others recommended other waterfalls that were much better to see.

“The Tiantai Mountain Waterfall here is even more magical,” one person wrote. “The most spectacular waterfall in China can only be the Huangguoshu Waterfall in the wet season,” another stated.

Rather than condemning the use of manmade pipes to fake a waterfall, officials reportedly told park operators to be more upfront about the modifications to visitors.

As a Unesco Global Geopark, Yuntai Mountain Geopark in the central Henan province brings in millions of visitors each year, eager to see its billion-year-old geological formations. The waterfall specifically is a major tourist attraction.