As more skyscrapers rise to fill the skylines of Chinese cities, it’s getting harder to come up with original designs to stand out.
That prompted a novel idea: How about a 350-foot waterfall on one side of the building?
The waterfall was built as part of the Liebian Building in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province in southwest China. The 397-ft. tall building is located at a public plaza in the city’s central business district.
According to the Kan Kan News, the waterfall has generated some local controversy because the electricity needed to power its four pumps costs 800 yuan, or about $118, per hour—although the building’s managers say that the waterfall will run only on special occasions and use recycled water from rain or the tap.
Still, the structure has proven to be a tourist attraction as well as a symbol—an occasionally surprising one—for the city. “People in the southwestern city of Guiyang telephoned newspapers to report what they believed was a massive water leak,” writes the Times of the U.K. when the structure made its debut. “When reporters arrived at the building they realized that the owner of Liebian Mansion had created a waterfall that gushes down the side.”
