Nature does some pretty spectacular things, doesn’t it? Photo: Screenshot
The Qiantang River in east China is home to the world’s largest tidal bore. Video recently circulated on the internet shows that bore doing something pretty mesmerizing: three tides came together at the Haining section of the river to form an incredible triangular pattern.
The video (and yes, I’m aware that it ends right before the most satisfying second of video ever) shows the phenomenon from a bird’s eye view. The river itself is nearly 300 miles long and runs through the Zhejiang province before reaching Hangzhou Bay in the East China Sea.
The tidal bore is known as the “Silver Dragon,” and it has become a popular spectacle for both locals and visitors alike. And since tidal bores mean waves, surfers have tried their luck there, most notably in the Qiantang River Shoot Out. It’s not the safest thing in the world, though, and the bore can cause enormous amounts of damage, like it did in 2015.
The tidal bores occur when incoming tides get smashed into the wide mouth of the Qiantang River, compressing and focusing their power. They travel up-river at sometimes pretty high speeds, creating waves and sweeping the banks of most of its vegetation.
Three crossing tides converged at the Haining section of the Qiantang River in east China’s Zhejiang Province, forming a spectacular triangular phenomenon. pic.twitter.com/O3LKjERjNA
— People’s Daily, China (@PDChina) November 4, 2025
