High waves galloped forward as the Qiantang River tidal bores smashed dams in east China's Zhejiang Province on Thursday, presenting thrilling and gorgeous scenes that stunned countless onlookers.
Prime viewing season falls on the 18th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, which is Thursday this year, allowing crowds of holidaymakers to gather alongside the river.
In Huangwan Town, Haining City, the tides were seen approaching and reaching the Tashan Dam, the earliest dam built on the Qiantang River, with a history of over 200 years.
The Tashan Dam is a T-shaped embankment that spans over 600 meters. As the first long T-shaped dam on the Qiantang River, it is where the tidal bores begin to show their most impressive display.
Many T-shaped barriers are dotted on the banks of the river to reduce the massive force of the bores and protect nearby villages and farmlands.
The bores are a natural phenomenon caused by the gravitational pull from the Moon. For centuries, this natural wonder has amazed crowds, standing as a vivid testament to nature's untamable power.
Haining's Yanguan Town is famous for its line-shaped tides. On Thursday, a distant murmur built into a deafening roar as a bore swept through the 39-meter-tall Zhan'ao Pagoda on the Qiantang River bank.
The T-shaped Laoyancang Dam, located 12 kilometers west of Guanxi Town in Haining, is another popular site to witness this majestic scene.
The dam, measuring nine meters in height and 650 meters in length, offers crowds of visitors a view of back-flow bore tides and soaring tides.
The Qiantang River is known for the world's largest tidal bores, featuring four common types of the phenomenon: criss-cross, one-line, back-flow, and fish-scale bores.
Aerial footage captures spectacular tidal bores on Qiantang River
