The iconic tidal bore on the Qiantang River in Haining City of east China's Zhejiang Province has entered its prime viewing period, captivating crowds of spectators with the highest waves of the year.
The tidal bore, known for its dramatic waves and diverse formations, surged past the viewing point in Yanguan Town in Haining on Wednesday.
The best time to witness the Qiantang River tidal bore typically falls between the 15th and 18th days of the eighth month on the traditional Chinese calendar. This year, the peak is expected on Wednesday and Thursday.
According to data from hydrological towers in the river, the waves were about 1 meter high when passing by Yanguan.
Though lower than last year due to less inflows from upstream, the waves have presented a rare convergence effect this year.
The lack of flowing water also led to sediment deposition, forming a sandbar in the middle of the river. When tidal surges encounter the sandbar, they would be divided into two parts, and when the two parts meet again, a rare formation of convergence emerges.
Qiantang River tidal bore reaches peak
Hundreds of Japanese residents gathered in front of the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on Thursday evening, demanding that Sanae Takaichi retract her recent erroneous remarks regarding China's Taiwan region.
At a Diet meeting on Nov. 7, Takaichi claimed that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan and implied the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, which has immediately drawn strong criticism at home and abroad.
Holding placards and banners that read "Against war" and "Takaichi resign", the protesters chanted "We don't want a prime minister who incites war! Takaichi, withdraw your remarks immediately! The Takaichi administration must step down now!"
"Stop military expansion! Stop missile deployment immediately!" the protesters also shouted.
"What exactly is Takaichi thinking? Isn't she pushing Japan into war? I believe she must retract her statements immediately. From a diplomatic perspective, as a member of Japan's Diet, she utterly lacks basic common sense. As a Japanese citizen, I truly find her behavior shameful," said a protester.
Takaichi's provocative remarks regrading Taiwan has constituted a serious challenge to Japan's pacifist constitution and its legal obligations as a defeated country in World War II, said the protesters.
"Japan inflicted tremendous harm on Asian countries during the Asia-Pacific War [of World War II]. That is precisely why we pledged 'Never again to wage war, never again to possess weapons,' and established the crucial Article 9 of our Constitution. Therefore, we absolutely cannot accept Takaichi's provocative remarks against China," said another protester.
The Constitution of Japan was enacted in 1947 and is known as the pacifist postwar constitution. The cornerstone of the constitution is Article 9, which renounces the nation's right to engage in war or to resort to military force to resolve international conflicts.
For decades, this article has been a fundamental constraint on Japan's military endeavors.
"Japan has the pacifist constitution and must absolutely not head towards war. We must return to this fundamental principle. Takaichi must immediately stop and retract her remarks. She must apologize, resign and take responsibility for the mistake," said a Japanese protester.
Japanese residents rally, urging PM to retract erroneous remarks regarding China's Taiwan
