Once a busy road linking Shanghai and Hangzhou, the Wengjin Line on the famous Qiantang River in Haining City of east China's Zhejiang Province -- home to the world's largest tidal bore -- is now transforming from a transport artery into a greenway for leisure and fitness. Running parallel to the Qiantang River, it has become a popular route for locals to cycle, run and watch the spectacular tides.
When the famous Qiantang tidal bore rolls in, riders will race to chase the waves, earning themselves a local nickname -- tide chasers.
Local cycling enthusiast Zhu Huahua said the tide's roar feels like it was beckoning.
"Many people call us tide chasers. Chasing and riding the tide have become a part of our life and have shaped the character of us Haining people," he said.
As the Wengjin Line continues its shift from concrete road to riverside playground, the cyclists who chase the tides are giving this once-ordinary highway a new pulse and purpose -- one that moves with the waves.
Also known as the "Silver Dragon," the Qiantang River Tide occurs at the Qiantang River mouth, where 10-meter tides are compressed and waves of up to some seven meters wash up the river at speeds exceeding 40 kilometers per hour, creating spectacular views.
Every year, there are about 120 days to watch or chase Qiantang River tidal waves, with the largest occurring on the 18th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.
Cyclists chase world's largest tidal bore on Qiantang River
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday the outcome of the ongoing Qatar-mediated consultations hinges on Washington's responses to questions raised by Iran.
Araghchi said an Iranian delegation had traveled to Qatar on Saturday for further discussions, adding that his aide was there to continue consultations with mediators.
The two-day talks remained underway, with no final conclusion reached. Araghchi expressed hope that the United States would rationally opt for diplomacy over other approaches.
An official briefed on the negotiations told the media that Qatar had maintained contact with the White House during the talks. The day before, Qatari mediators held more than 12 hours of talks with Iranian counterparts in Tehran, aiming to clinch a U.S.-Iran agreement to avert renewed conflict after the U.S. midterm elections.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday, Araghchi dismissed reports of possible meetings as media speculation, saying Iran saw no need to meet with American officials at present. He said Tehran would decide whether to hold direct or indirect negotiations after Washington accepted Iran's conditions.
According to Araghchi, Iran's conditions include recognition of a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz that Tehran had worked out with Oman, and the closure of other routes.
He said Tehran also sought the lifting of sanctions imposed after the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a reduction in U.S. military forces in the region, the restoration of sanctions waivers for Iranian oil exports, and the release of all frozen Iranian funds, including those held in Qatar.
Iran also demanded an end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, he said.
Araghchi said mediators had presented proposals concerning Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran was reviewing as part of what he described as a second phase.
The Iranian foreign minister also said a letter from U.S. Vice President JD Vance had been reviewed at high-level meetings, describing the American effort to open the door to broader dialogue and understanding as a "positive step."
Iran says outcome of Qatar-mediated talks hinges on US response
