Enthusiasts flock to capture spectacular scenes of Qiantang River tidal bores

The Qiantang River tidal bore, a natural wonder, has lured numerous enthusiasts to Haining City in east China's Zhejiang Province, to capture the mesmerizing spectacle of the ever-changing tides.

A tidal bore is a phenomenon where the leading edge of an incoming tide creates a wave that surges up a river against the flow.

The Qiantang River boasts the world's largest tidal bore, and is called the "Silver Dragon" by locals.

Tide-watching has become a grand folk tradition during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Tuesday this year.

These enthusiasts have not only captured the stunning scenes of the tides, but also given them vivid names based on their distinct features.

"The crossing tide is more captivating, with two or even three tidal currents merging together. There is also the legendary dragon-scale tide, where the tide water resembles the upturned scales of a dragon," said Pan Linglong, an enthusiast.

"The tides come in different forms. For example, I've captured the crossing tide, the surging tide, and the dragon head tide. Photographing the tides is like unwrapping a surprise gift. The tide appearance changes from day to day and is fleeting. Once captured, the experience can be truly breathtaking," said He Bin, another enthusiast.

Enthusiasts flock to capture spectacular scenes of Qiantang River tidal bores

Enthusiasts flock to capture spectacular scenes of Qiantang River tidal bores

The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday slashed interest rates by 50 basis points amid cooling inflation and a weakening labor market, marking the first rate cut in over four years.

"The Committee has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent, and judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are roughly in balance," the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the central bank's policy-setting body, said in a statement.

"In light of the progress on inflation and the balance of risks, the Committee decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/2 percentage point to 4-3/4 to 5 percent," the FOMC said.

This signals the start of an easing cycle. Starting from March 2022, the Fed had raised rates consecutively for 11 times to combat inflation not seen in forty years, pushing the target range for the federal funds rate up to between 5.25 percent and 5.5 percent, the highest level in over two decades.

After maintaining rates at the high level for over a year, the Fed's tight monetary policy faced pressure to pivot due to the easing of inflationary pressures, signs of weakening in the job market, and slowing economic growth.

U.S. Fed slashes rates by 50 basis points, first rate cut in four years