Every year the Qiantang tidal wave draws tens of thousands of spectators. But sometimes the water can be very dangerous. Two photographers recount their thrilling experience in 2002.
Photographer Wong Rong'er said, "The wave was at least 3 meters high. It rushed on to the road, and lots of people got washed away. When the wave crashed against the sluice gate, it rose about 10 meters high."
On September 8th, 2002, Wong and a dozen other photographers went to Zhejiang to get some good pictures. But the wave was so strong that it swept away dozens of cars. Wong was on higher ground, so he escaped. But his colleague Zhang Shengxian wasn't that lucky.
Photographer Zhang Shengxian said, "The wave hit me from the top. It felt like something huge and soft pressing on my body. I couldn't breathe, and the water just kept coming."
Zhang said he was able to hold onto a car wheel and not be carried away.
Photographer Zhang Shengxian said, "We all got injured. My eardrums were perforated. When I got home, I found my underwear was in tatters. My two legs were covered with bruises."
Staff working for the Qiantang River Tide Festival say viewers should follow a few precautions.
Only go to the designated locations.
Stay away from the mouth of the river.
And avoid watching at night, when it's hard to determine high the tide is going to be.