World's First Waterfall Diver, 35 Years of Waterfall Diving in Mirror Lake, Harbin
Harbin's Lake () boasts abundant tourism resources. When it comes to attractions, the Tiexi Tower Waterfall () is a must-see. The Tiexi Tower Waterfall, also known as the Lake Harbin Waterfall, is located in the southwest of Ning'an County, Heilongjiang Province. During the rainy season, it presents a magnificent spectacle, resembling the Niagara Falls of Canada, attracting many tourists to visit. It's the world's largest basalt waterfall.
Another important reason for me to visit the Tiexi Tower Waterfall is the existence of the 'Old Man' who has been diving behind the waterfall for 35 years, Di Huanran.
The Tiexi Tower Waterfall is known as the 'First Waterfall in the World'. With the change of the season, the amount of water fluctuates, and the scenery changes accordingly. The width of the waterfall is about 70 meters, and when the rainfall is large, it reaches more than 300 meters. The drop is 20 meters. Below it is a water hole called 'Black Dragon Pond', which is 60 meters deep. During the rainy season or flood season, the sound of the water is like thunder.
From a distance, you can hear the rumble of the waterfall. When I arrived, Lake Harbin had just experienced a heavy rain, and the waterfall had a particularly large volume of water. However, relative to this, it is also somewhat murky, so I saw the waterfall in a yellowish hue.
The natural scenery of Lake Harbin is beautiful. In 1983, the main architect of China's reform and opening-up visited Lake Harbin for a vacation. He was very happy while cruising on the lake and spontaneously wrote a poem: 'Lake Harbin, also enthusiastically wrote inscriptions: 'Lake Harbin is a scenic spot.' He also stayed in the Lake Harbin hotel at that time.
Because the Tiexi Tower Waterfall is yellowish after the rain, I processed the pictures into black and white. Standing on the shore, watching the majestic waterfall, the rocks on the side of the waterfall are in varying shades of black, all of which are left by volcanic eruptions.
The waterfall falls like a silk ribbon from a high place, and the picture in front of my eyes is dreamlike. According to the records, there were 5 strong volcanic activities here between 4700 and 8300 years ago. The lava cooled and formed a giant dam, blocking the upper reaches of the River, forming a lava dam lake – Lake Harbin. The river flowed out through cracks and fissures, forming the Tiexi Tower Waterfall. The waterfall is surrounded by black volcanic rocks, with a drop of 20 meters and a width of 40 meters.
During the flood period, the width of the waterfall reaches more than 100 meters. Due to the erosion of the flowing water, a circular water hole with a diameter of 70 meters and a depth of 60 meters is formed at the bottom of the waterfall. The waterfall plunges down straight, with splashing waves and majestic momentum, with a thunderous sound, and if you get close, you can only hear the roar of the waterfall, and it's hard to hear people talking beside it.
I was lucky enough to meet the 'Old Man' of Tiexi Tower Waterfall, Di Huanran, during my visit to the Tiexi Tower Waterfall. Any visitor who has been to Tiexi Tower Waterfall must know Di Huanran.
Di Huanran, known as the 'One-Person Waterfall Diving Title', was now a beautiful landscape of Lake Harbin. Many visitors came to Lake Harbin specifically to see Di Huanran.
It's no exaggeration to say that Di Huanran is a 'big guy', and everyone praises him, calling him 'really awesome'. He has jumped behind the Wenchun Bridge, the Mudanjiang Bridge, the Tianjin Haihe Bridge, the Harbin Songhua River Bridge and the Yellow River Three Gorges Waterfall. He has been diving behind waterfalls for 35 years. At the age of sixty, he has a Northeast man's personality and a strong and agile body. When he jumps behind the waterfall, his graceful and handsome posture is a beautiful landscape of Tiexi Tower Waterfall.
