The Qiantang tide is expected to have a 1.4 meter tide difference this year and be better than last year.

The tide wave, in east China's Zhejiang Province, is normally seen on August 18 in Lunar calendar, which is about two weeks later.

It is reported that the bigger the tide difference, the better the view. This year, the uprise (tide difference between the low point and high point) is expected to reach 1.4 meters.

According to experts, the mud sediment on the riverbed and the cold weather in the previous years had affected the view of the river tide. This year, however, the rainfall in the area has swept away much of the sediment, making the low tides 60 centimeters lower than previous years and thus helping the incoming tide.

Director of the Hangzhou water resource monitoring center Bao Yuepeng told reporters that if there was typhoon passing by the Hangzhou Bay at the time the Qiantang tidewave was viewed, it could make the scene even better.

(Chinanews.cn August 31, 2005)