A scenic beauty spot has been accused of fraud after an enthusiastic climber wanted to go to the source and was shocked to discover a huge water pipe.

The hiker posted a video of the famous Yuntaishan Waterfall which with a 314-metre-long (1,030 feet)drop is the largest waterfall not only in China but also in Asia.

But the man revealed that the water spectacularly flowing down the side of the cliff face was actually coming from the pipe.

The Yuntai Mountain waterfall is located in Xiuwu County, in China's Henan Province.

The Yuntai Geo Park scenic area is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful in the country and is classified as an AAAAA scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration.

AAAAA (5A) is reportedly awarded to the most important and best-maintained tourist attractions in the country.

The waterfall is one of the iconic images of Yuntai Mountain. During the flood season, the guidebooks say that the YuntaiWaterfall 'looks like a galaxy falling and a jade pillar supporting the sky, which is spectacular'.

But the staff were forced into a frantic backpedalling when the images emerged, claiming that the waterfall was genuine but admitting that it only flowed in the autumn and spring.

They added that as many people came from long distances to photograph the waterfall, arrangements were made for water pipes to ensure they were not disappointed.

However, they insisted it was still a genuine waterfall that had been there for thousands of years, and they were just helping it along.

The statement said:'The Yuntaishan Waterfall is not a man-made waterfall, but a natural feature formed by hundreds of millions of years of geological changes.

'The water pipe in the video is an auxiliary water diversion device built at the source of the waterfall on the basis of the natural landscape to ensure the viewing experience during the dry season.

The Yuntaishan Tianpu waterfall is a seasonal waterfall. During the dry season, the water flow is less, which is also a common feature of northern waterfalls.

'Many tourists come here specifically from other places.

'In order to enhance the tourists' experience, the scenic area builds auxiliary equipment at the source of the waterfall to divert water based on the natural landscape, ensuring the viewing experience of the Yuntai Tianpuwaterfall during the dry season."

They added that there were many examples of waterfalls in China and allegedly also abroad occasionally facing a 'water shortage' caused by dry season or human factors, and there are many cases of manual intervention to adjust the water volume of waterfalls.