Open the floodgates: Millions of tonnes of silt forced downstream through giant dam in China



More than 390 million tonnes shifted this way over the last 13 years

The silt-carrying water gushes out of three specialised holes in the dam




These photographs may look like scenes from an apocalyptic film.

But in fact they are of an annual operation to move 30 million tonnes of silt downstream a year in the Henan province.

Bystanders holding umbrellas are dwarfed as they watch the tremendous rush of water gushing through gaps in a dam.



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Residents turn out to watch the annual event - and try to avoid a drenching by protecting themselves with umbrellas