Thousands defy death in tidal bore festival
Trip Start
Jan 30, 2007
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Trip End
Dec 31, 2011
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Hangzhou,
Zhejiang,
China
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Don't believe me?
Qiantang River Tidal Bore Watching Festival
Bore watching festivalIt has been the tradition for people living by the mouth of the Qiantang River to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival by eating moon cake and watching the tide. The natural wonder has become a popular attraction for visitors as well.
Yanguan Town in Haining, Hangzhou has been regarded as the best place to watch. The annual International Qiantang River Tidal Bore Watching Festival is held here on 18th day of the eighth lunar month
population control?
.When the tide approaches, its mighty surging tidal waves look like ten thousand horses galloping ahead. The height wave can reach up to 8.93 meters. Its earthshaking sound rumbles like muffled thunder. Its force seems to stem from the momentum of an avalanche.
The scene of the Qiantang River is ever changing and its tide height is different. When the tide appears, it looks like a white rainbow rising from a plain. While the tide surges, it seems that there are ten thousand horses galloping ahead with momentum. There also seems to be ten thousand icebergs emerging. If you are interested in it , you can race with the tide by car to see who will win in the final leg. As the tide ebbs away, the tidewater forms a circle. Certainly, if you watch the tide at night, you will come to see another majestic sight.
However, the game remains only for those who know its rules. It is better to watch the tide in the designated areas for the tide may changes quickly and swept the visitors away without notice. Each year, few people die from tide watching, since most of them go beyond the designated tide watching areas.
boring
Another listing . . .
China is known for many rivers, some of them so powerful and mighty that they have part of the Chinese folklore. Qiantang River is one such powerful river that originated from Anhui and Jiangxi borders (provinces in China). It passes through the capital city of Zhejiang province and flows down to the East China Sea. This river is prominent for another reason, it has spectacular tidal bore. And the famous Qiantang Tide Watching Festival, Hangzhou is a celebration of this unique feature. A tidal bore is a natural occurrence in which the edge of the tide forms waves and moves against the current and is a true tidal wave. Tidal bores do not occur in all rivers and can be of different shapes or forms.
Qiantang River plays an important role in the water transportation system in Zhejiang. The river encircles some of the greatest cities of the world which are also amongst the most economically advanced. They include Shanghai and China's leading port city, Ningbo. The tidal bore of this river is a spectacular sight. It is caused by the gravitational pull of cosmic forces (stars & planets). Hangzhou Bay is bottleneck shaped and therefore with the centrifugal force of Earth's rotation, the tide easily enters the bay but it becomes difficult to ebb. The tide is most spectacular on the eighteenth day of the eighth lunar month. The tide on this day is of magnificent proportions and the water can rise up to a height of thirty feet, the sound of the tide is deafening.
Qiantang Tide Watching Festival, Hangzhou, is celebrated by both the local people and the visitors from other countries. Yanguan in Haining is the best place to watch the swelling tidal wave. Some of the activities in which people take part are a temple fair, folk song and dances performances, operas and lantern competition.
From Asiarooms.com
The Qiantang River Bore (Silver Dragon) in Hangzhou is a natural wonder that it is both beautiful and intimidating at the same time. The bore is formed at the mouth of the Qiantang River where it joins the Hangzhou Bay. The tremendous narrowing of the river from a width of 100 kilometers and the gentle rising of the riverbed at this point constricts the river water and creates a giant wave that is called the tidal bore. This tidal bore has claimed innumerable lives in the past years and is still a threat to the native people of the Yanguan village.
World record:
The Tidal Bore is also called the Silver Dragon as it reaches an immense height like that of a dragon and is even said to have created a world record by reaching an amazing height of 8.9 meters and a speed of 40 kilometers an hour.
Ideal time to watch the Qiantang River Bore (Silver Dragon) in Hangzhou:
Though the tidal bore often turns up unexpectedly, the most probable time of its occurrence is during the full moon days. There is an annual festival held in the September on a full moon day that centers on the watching of the tidal bore reaching its great height. Every year it attracts thousands of visitors to Yanguan village. The sight of water rushing upon water with a supernatural force is formidable and also memerizing. The grayish dark water of the river water and the enormous height to which the wave rises has given it the name "Silver Dragon" or the " Black dragon".
Things to do around the Qiantang River Bore (Silver Dragon) in Hangzhou:
The river has a park nearby and also an ancient tall pagoda. You can have a leisurely stroll through the park and have a close look at the pristine pagoda before you reach the river mouth to witness the giant wave.
From China Daily
High tide at Qiantang River
( 2003-09-24 09:02) (China Daily)
Sitting at the tide-watching pavilion by the Qiantang River for the whole morning, sexagenarian Zhang Guizhi was still patiently waiting for the tide which was expected to come in at 2:25 pm. It was on September 14, which was also the 18th day of the eighth month of the lunar year, the best date for tide-watching.
In the afternoon of September 9, 2002, a high tide on the Qiantang River sends tourists darting around screaming in exciting at Jiuxi of Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. [China Daily]
Like Zhang, many people started to gather at the Xiaoshan Qianjiang Tidal Bore Watching Resort in groups in the early morning, hoping to occupy a better place to witness the annual natural wonder - the Qiantang Tide. Some sat in blue sheds and some gathered around the tide-watching pavilion, which commands a panoramic view of the river.
It has been the tradition for people living by the mouth of the Qiantang River to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival by eating mooncake and watching the tide.
The Qiantang River looks to be shaped like a trumpet at its mouth, while flowing east to Hangzhou Bay. Every year it demonstrates its magnificent tidal wonders, which usually show up around the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar year, with its climax on the 18th day.
The tide rolls in as high as a huge wall, with its crest reaching 3.5 metres and dropping 8.9 metres. The best place to enjoy the wonder is in Haining County, as well as other places nearby including Xiaoshan and Haiyan.
The natural wonder has become a popular attraction for visitors as well.
Local fishermen at Xiaoshan of East China's Zhejiang Province have formed the tradition of braving the annual high tide on the Qiantang River to net the freshest fish.
"I had been watching the tidal bore on TV every year, but had never made an on-the-spot visit," said Zhang, who came with her husband from Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province.
"I know Haining is the best place to watch, but Xiaoshan is nearer to my home," she said.
Though it was a sunny day, the river was covered in mist. People had only an indistinct view of the opposite bank.
Twice a day, the tide from the East China Sea visits here and carries with it mud, sand, and stone from the lower reaches of the river, so the vast water is yellow and muddy.
"It is pretty dry this year, and the high temperatures lasted for nearly a month in Hangzhou, so there is a shortage of water in the river and the tide this year will not be as tall," said Xu Guanqiao, a local policeman who grew up by the Qiantang River. He has been here to maintain the public order for the past 10 years.
"Generally speaking, the tide arrives on time, but sometimes influenced by the wind, it will come at an earlier or later time," said Xu.
At 1:30 pm, crowds of people started to huddle around the railing starting from the tide-watching pavilion and gazed at the faraway river surface in the east.
At 2:39 pm, the crowd was suddenly in a frenzy, some yelling that they saw a white line, but it turned out to be a false alarm. Nothing but a white wide strap stretching obliquely on the river surface could be seen.
Five minutes later, a white line finally revealed itself gradually against the background strap, becoming increasingly wider and clearer. Minutes later, its true face came into view, waves about 1.5 metres tall rolling on steadily in a straight line stretching the whole river.
When the tide drove near to the hydrometric station about a mile from the pavilion, its southern part was suddenly pulling backward, and the waves beat and submerged the station with its full force and splashed into the air.
The energy of the tidal wave seemed to be released greatly after hitting the station, and the waves appeared weak.
However, when it passed before the crowds, mud and stones on the riverside were fed into its huge mouth within seconds. Sadly, the grand sound was totally covered by the cheering crowds.
Right at that moment, three iron boats drove at their full speed, making a head-on bump with the waves and sending up a fountain of spray, while the ships were thrown into the air and then crashing down onto the water surface heavily, going around like this several times. Accompanying the loud cheers, the tidal wave finally surged off.
The boatmen were given loud applause by the local people, most of whom were farmers in the nearby villages. The boatmen believed the fish they caught at that moment would be much fresher.
"I set off on the timing of the tide arrival to go back home when it ebbs," said Sun Yonggui, a fisherman of Nanyang Town. After fishing in the river all day long, he appeared tanned and sturdy.
The local fishermen all have a good sense for the tide's arrival and seldom make mistakes. Each time the tide comes, they strip naked and run side by side with it, carrying a two-metre-long bamboo pole with a string bag tied on the end. There are a lot of fish of different varieties carried in the tide and the fishermen can make a sizable harvest.
Dangerous tide
However, the game remains only for those who know its rules. In the meantime, Xu kept reminding people not to go near the riverbank.
"Each year, many people die from tide watching, since most of them go beyond the designated tide watching areas," said Xu. Between 1999 and 2001 it claimed 64 casualties.
During the past few years, many people, mostly coming out of town, would come to the embankments to wait for the tide. They were not quite aware of the power of the tidal waves, and some came to the riverside to get a better view of the tide, some even jumped into the river to swim.
"They have no idea about the arriving time, or its devastating force, so they are most likely to be taken away," said Xu. "When I make my rounds, I repeatedly tell people about the tide and the related safety rules."
Sometimes, the tidal waves appear to be far away from people, but the waves could suddenly surge, and there would no time for them to escape. Once they are swept away, it would be impossible to come out again, for the waves are rolling forward with huge momentum.
Standing on the part stretching deep into the river of a T-shaped dam will be especially tricky. Though the tide appears to still be far away, the waves from the two sides already steal their way and cut off the retreating route. People could only wait there desperately till they are carried away by the rising waves.
"Anyway, it will be absolutely safe for outsiders to watch the tide in the designated areas," said Xu.
Apparently, this year most people looked a bit disappointed and seemed not to enjoy themselves to the full, because the tidal waves appeared not as high and grand as it was said to be before, and especially when it comes and goes so quickly.
"How about coming tomorrow?" a young man said to his girlfriend.
