CHINA, June 6: A renowned waterfall in China has recently come under scrutiny following the revelation that its majestic falls may be artificially supplied by a water pipe. The Yuntai Waterfall, located in Yuntai Mountain Park in north-central Henan province, is a popular tourist attraction with an AAAAA rating from the country's Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The source of the waterfall, described on the park's website as "like the Milky Way flying down," has been questioned after a video posted on Chinese social media appeared to show a pipe supplying water to the 314-meter-tall (1,030-foot) falls. This suggests that the falls' source may not be as natural as visitors had believed.

In response to the video, Yuntai Mountain Park’s management explained that the addition of the water pipe was necessary due to seasonal changes that affect the waterfall's flow during dry periods. “The waterfall cannot guarantee to meet the public in its most beautiful appearance due to season changes,” they stated, noting that the falls underwent “a tiny improvement during the dry season.” The park's management also expressed gratitude for the public's attention and assured that the waterfall would present itself in its “most perfect and most natural form” this summer.

The video has sparked mixed reactions on social media in China. While some were shocked, others praised the park's response. “The source of a waterfall is not what people came to see anyway, I don’t think it counts as lying to the public,” commented one Weibo user. Another remarked, “You are there to see a peacock flaunting his tail, not to focus on the peacock’s butt.”

Yuntai is not the first waterfall in China to receive artificial assistance. The country's monsoon climate poses challenges in maintaining water flow during dry seasons with reduced rainfall. The Huangguoshu Waterfall in southwestern Guizhou province faced similar issues and had a dam built in 2004 to ensure continuous water flow. At the time, the province lauded the dam, stating it would “put an end to the history of Huangguoshu Waterfall drying up.”