China's Tallest Waterfall Gets an Odd Boost

China's Yuntai Falls trumps Niagara Falls when it comes to height, at roughly 1,000 feet to the latter's 188 feet. But when it comes to powerful natural flows, Niagara appears to have it soundly beat. It turns out the towering Chinese waterfall—the country's highest (see an image of it here)—gets an assist from water pipes. The Guardian reports that this fact emerged after a hiker equipped with a drone posted footage on Chinese social media of water coming from pipes in the rock face. As the Washington Post puts it, those pipes apparently provide "some—if not all—of the waterfall's flow," particularly in the dry season.

Tourist officials at the Yuntai Mountain scenic resort on Tuesday offered an explanation, speaking from the point of view of the waterfall: "Depending on the season, I cannot guarantee that I am in my best condition whenever my friends come to see me. To make your experience of the journey more complete and to make you feel that it's a worthwhile trip, I underwent a small enhancement so that I could meet my friends in better shape in the dry season." They didn't clarify when the pipes were added or how regularly they're used to supplement the falls, which the Post notes sit in a UNESCO Global Geopark. (More strange stuff stories.)