Qiantang tidal bore
The great tide was born where the Qiantang River meets the sea
If you look at the coastal line of the Chinese mainland, you will find the shape of a horn at Hangzhou Bay, where the Qiantang River enters the East China Sea. It's here that one will find the world-famous Qiantang bore - the monthly formation of sea-like waves on the brackish water, when tides pull sea water up the Qiantang River against the current.
Every year, in mid-August on the lunar calendar, tourists will come and enjoy the view of the Qiantang bore. The year 2016 is special: the Qiangtang bore coincides with the G20 Summit, held in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province where the Qiantang bore occurs.
The Qiantang bores are at times so powerful that sight-seers must first plan a route of escape and get ready to run before approaching to experience or photograph the phenomenon.
As the tidal forces reach their peak around Aug 18 on the lunar calendar, the waves of the Qiantang bore can be as high as five meters and there can be a gap of 10 meters between the highest and lowest points. The Qiantang bore has already become a natural feature of Haining.
Haining is not the only place suitable for watching the Qiantang bore. After watching the peak of the tide in Haining, you can watch similarly unique tides in several neighboring areas. In Nanyang town at the southern bank of the Hangzhou Bay, people can watch pillar tides, a unique phenomenon in which the water rising like pillars.
| On Sept 14, 2014, tourists capture the moment of the Qiantang bore with their smartphones. |
| Yanguan town in Haining city is famous for its line-shaped tide. A typical one happens on July 22, 2015. |
| Tourists try to escape as a huge wave hits the viewing platform on Sept 4, 2016. Photos by Wang Xinke / For China Daily |
| There is a great breach on the coastline near Haining, where waves can seem to form pillars. People gather to capture the moment on Sept 6, 2005. |
| Brazilian surfer Eduardo Bage surfs from Haining to Hangzhou while the tide is not too fierce on Oct 29, 2007. His trip lasted 50 kms, a yet-to-be-broken record. |
(China Daily USA 09/15/2016 page10)
