The Qiantang River tidal bore in east China's Zhejiang Province drew a huge crowd Thursday.

The Qiantang River tidal bore is the highest and fastest in the world. Every year, soaring waves crash along the banks of the river, near the city of Haining. Tourists usually flock to watch the natural occurrence on the eighteenth day of the eighth lunar month, which falls Thursday this year.

The biggest tidal bore of the year saw more than 157,000 tourists show up in Haining.

"I have always wanted to observe the Qiantang River tidal bore," said 10-year-old Hu Mingxi from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. "I keep a diary, and I will definitely write down what I saw today and put pictures in it."

Waves several meters high were seen at noon, and sounded like "thousands of galloping horses," according to observers.