SHEN DA

Locals and visitors watch the tidal waves of the Qiantang River from behind an embankment in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, on October 6.

Nearly 600,000 people from across the globe watched the natural wonder that day, the 18th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar when the most violent tidal waves are predicted to come each year.

The Qiantang Tide, caused by the gravitational pull of the stars and planets, is a popular

tourist attraction in China. When the surging tide batters the coast, the water can rise up to a height of 9 meters.