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Asia Minute: China’s Artificial Waterfall

PublicDomainPictures
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Pixabay

People looking for rooms at luxury hotels often compare amenities offered by different properties. Those could range from swimming pools and million dollar views to gourmet food. But in China, it could also include a waterfall.

There is a new record for the world’s largest artificial waterfall.

It’s in China — in the capital city of the southwest province of Guizhou. And it’s not at a theme park or a water park or any other kind of park.

The water is designed to tumble off the side of a skyscraper — falling about 350 feet to the ground. The building is still under construction, but eventually it’s expected to include office space, shopping and a luxury hotel.

The water feature is finished, but it’s already caused some confusion.

Local media report that the first time the water was turned on, area residents called the police and other emergency responders — saying there was a water leak of epic proportions streaming from a construction site.

It’s only beentested half a dozen times; in part because of the cost involved. It takes four pumps to work the water feature — at a cost of 118 dollars an hour.

Credit Wahsaw / Wikimedia Commons
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Wikimedia Commons
Street in Huichuan District, Zunyi City, Guizhou Province

Making fun of the building and its designers has become a new online amusement for many in China. But the company that built the waterfall says it’s an appreciation of nature — a tribute to the surrounding countryside.

And they say there’s an environmental aspect to the work: it uses recycled water.

Bill Dorman has been the news director at Hawaiʻi Public Radio since 2011.
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