A 60 Year Old Man Cliff Dives in China
In the city of Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang on the border between China and Russia, there is Jingpo lake landscape. This is where the Diao Shuilou waterfall, the world's largest basalt waterfall is.
Diao Shuilou, Huangguoshu, and Hukou waterfall are the 3 major waterfalls in China.
Every flood season, the sound of the thunderous waterfalls bring rapid rolling waves. In extremely cold weather the waterfalls turn into ice on top but deep below are still filled with water.
“Lao Di” a 60-year old retired local celebrity Di Xianran is known as the first cliff diver in China.
Every afternoon, visitors would wait at the waters edge for his appearance.
Why did he originally dive into the waterfall?
In 1983, Di first saw the Diao Shui Lou waterfall. He tried to swim to the edge but people persuaded him not to. Locals told him that if even a log fell from the top it would turn to dust.
Intent on proving them wrong, Di swam into the rapids and jumped down.
“It felt like I was flying like an eagle,” Di said. One jump wasn't enough for him, he continued jumping and diving.
Diao Shuilou waterfall is his favorite because he can jump in the summer and the winter.
During the coldest days, the outside temperature is as low as -36 degrees Celsius and 7 degrees in the water.
In 2001, Jingbohu scenic area management committee found Di and hired him to perform diving full-time. Every day he climbs 12 meters high to the platform to perform his diving.
He attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year.
In 2008, he set a Guinness World Record for the world's highest waterfall dive and earned a handsome performance fee!
"Diving is my life, I will jump until I’m 80 years old if my body allows me to!”
Seeing how tough the pressure from the water is and how agile Di’s body is, it’s as though his diving and climbs have not left a trace on his body.
Many people criticize him for endangering himself and don’t understand his choices.
He doesn’t regret any of his dives, he loves challenging himself physically and mentally.
Source: Xinhua/baidu/
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