Qiantang tidal bore

Yanguan town in Haining city is famous for its line-shaped tide. A typical one happens on July 22, 2015.[Photo by Wang Xinke / For China Daily]

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.