Controversy erupted in China after a video showed a flow of water from the Yuntai Mountain Waterfall — billed as China's tallest uninterrupted waterfall — was coming from a pipe.
The clip, posted to Chinese social media platform Douyin, was filmed at the top of the 312-meter rockface and appeared to show water cascading down the mountain from a pipe, BBC reports.
The waterfall is in the Yuntai Mountain Geopark in the central Henan province.
"The one about how I went through all the hardship to the source of Yuntai Waterfall only to see a pipe," the caption of the video reads.
The clip was posted on Sunday and has gained 70,000 likes, with users left scratching their heads over what was happening.
Since then, the topic “the origin of Yuntai Waterfall is just some pipes", started trending on social media gaining tens of millions of views.
It even led to local government officials visiting the park to investigate.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, they asked the operators to learn a lesson from the incident and inform visitors of park changes.
Responding to the controversy, the park’s operators said the waterfall had undergone some “minor enhancements” to make it look better for tourists.
In a statement on behalf of the waterfall itself, the operators said: “I didn't expect to meet everyone this way".
"As a seasonal scenery, I can't guarantee that I will be in my most beautiful form every time you come to see me.
"I made a small enhancement during the dry season only so I would look my best to meet my friends."
Park officials told CCTV that the water being pumped was spring water, saying it would not damage the landscape.
While some users seemed to understand the situation, others did not.
"I think it's a good thing to do. Otherwise, people would be disappointed if they end up seeing nothing there," a user said.
"How could it be called the No.1 waterfall anymore," another said.
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