I posed a question in my earlier posting on Lu Village @ Guilin; the two differing water levels at one specific segment of the Taohua River which would have made it impossible for boats to travel along without the risk of toppling over.
The answer lies in the dock-like structure along the river.
Anything bigger than the boat we were in would likely be stopped from entering; which means you will not see any big-sized cruise ships traversing along the river.
Once the capacity of two boats was reached, the motors for both vessels would be shut down as it would be a blatant waste of energy to keep them going while stationary.
That's when everyone's attention would be drawn to the openings on both sides; in our case, being the second boat, it would be the opening at the tail end.
Hydraulic arm in action; pushing the gate to close so as to seal us off from the main waterway!
For those who have yet to be aware of what's happening; this is a lock system commonly deployed in canals and dams to control water levels! Note the discoloration; the blue segment was untouched by river water.
Time for the water to be pumped in!
It didn't take us more than ten minutes to navigate the sluice gates and even though this may not be of the same magnitude as the humongous Panama Canal, it was still an experience for me!
Two sections; one for incoming boats and the other for outgoing boats!
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Do check out the posting for the summarised itinerary of Chan Brother's tour package (guaranteed no shopping stops) to Guilin; it would give you a better overview of my trip. :)
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